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offbeat

adjective

ˈȯf-ˈbēt How to pronounce offbeat (audio)
Definition of offbeatnext
1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion an offbeat approach to the task, but it gets the job done

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced this writer has an enjoyably offbeat sense of humor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offbeat Though he‘s known for his offbeat humor, Zucker’s brain is firing on a perpetual metronome. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 In Silicon Valley, Hilton found actual blue skies and people who appreciated his brand of offbeat thinking. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Stephanie Vermillion is a freelance writer and filmmaker focused on travel, offbeat adventures, craft beer, and the great outdoors. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026 Some of their solutions seemed offbeat or marginal, but others have become commonplace. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for offbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offbeat
  1. bizarre
  2. unusual
  3. funny
  4. uncommon
  5. strange
  6. weird
  7. odd
  8. peculiar
Adjective
  • Appropriated from a John Cale album, the title accurately describes scenes of bloodletting committed by bizarre, scenery-chewing yakuza members, and the energy hovers somewhere around a bloodier-than-baseline Takashi Miike movie from the mid-2000s.
    — Vadim Rizov, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Her family and church life remained opaque, but her bizarre comedic timing and magnetic onscreen presence turned her into everyone’s favorite reality-TV anti-hero.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • The move is unusual due to the more than six-month-long conflict between Iran and the United States and no sign that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran's nuclear program are close.
    — September 18, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The team also needed to confirm that the unusual structures were genuine electron behavior rather than artifacts created by the microscope.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The play touches on issues of male bonding, family, reentering the dating pool, loss, grief and despair, while being very funny almost all the time.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • Other uncommon marine animals have wandered into California waters this year.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Daytime activity is not uncommon and does not necessarily indicate rabies.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncommon
Adjective
  • In a small town, several dead people are brought back to life through a strange ritual involving burning duck manure.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Back outside, the strangest part of the scene might have been how normal everything seemed to the people wearing crimson and blue.
    — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • The resulting film is somehow weirder, wondrous, and more wistful than what even that logline suggests.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The kind of weird minutiae that only nerds pull out of old archives.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Moon Knight was one of 17-some-odd shows Marvel developed and released under Disney’s streaming mandate, which began in 2018.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The veterinary team at the center has plenty of experience dealing with odd animal cases.
    — Neal Riley, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of odd
Adjective
  • Giddey, a peculiar player to build around or give the keys to an offense with eventual playoff aspirations, is on a reasonable deal, still fairly productive and had some level of interest from Minnesota.
    — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Winds may not be quite as strong near Sacramento in the evening as the Delta breeze counteracts some of the north winds — a peculiar setup — but could still be gusty in sudden bursts.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of peculiar

Browse Nearby Words

off base
offbeat
off-color
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Cite this Entry

“Offbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offbeat. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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