as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
a quick, offhanded suggestion that was actually much better than any of the prepared proposals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 offhanded
Her boss seemed to empathize in offhanded comments here and there, but in action and assignments showed no grace.
—
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
An offhanded comment from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker at the Sept. 30 council meeting is generating controversy online.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
Its language, instead, is a chilly French chicness: spiky, refined, offhanded, exuding effortlessness through extraordinary effort.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Mistress constantly has her wheels turning looking for avenues to rattle the queens, but Nicole does so with a single offhanded comment that cuts to the quick.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025
During last week's postgame media availability, Jalen Hurts made a seemingly offhanded comment about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
In a recent interview, the former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made an offhanded comment that connected a few dots for me.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
That isn’t to say that Le Gros, a true indie O.G. who seems to get better with age, and McCarthy don’t give equally nuanced turns, or that Donaldson’s deft way of embedding deep, complicated back stories in offhanded conversational details don’t add to the film immensely.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2024
With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade.
—Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
An offhanded comment from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker at the Sept. 30 council meeting is generating controversy online.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
Its language, instead, is a chilly French chicness: spiky, refined, offhanded, exuding effortlessness through extraordinary effort.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Mistress constantly has her wheels turning looking for avenues to rattle the queens, but Nicole does so with a single offhanded comment that cuts to the quick.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025
During last week's postgame media availability, Jalen Hurts made a seemingly offhanded comment about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025
In a recent interview, the former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made an offhanded comment that connected a few dots for me.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
That isn’t to say that Le Gros, a true indie O.G. who seems to get better with age, and McCarthy don’t give equally nuanced turns, or that Donaldson’s deft way of embedding deep, complicated back stories in offhanded conversational details don’t add to the film immensely.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2024
With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade.
—Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offhanded
Adjective
-
The Eaton and Palisades fire diaspora has played out in a sunburst pattern of impromptu moves that likely will never be traced in full detail.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
This isnt the first time law enforcement officials were involved in an impromptu heroic rescue.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet at just over three hours, and without a classic plotline, Dao can also be a patience-tester for those unwilling to groove to its improvised storytelling.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Five minutes after half-time, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the space to guide an improvised finish home with his chest, after Gruev was allowed far too much room to cross from the edge of the box.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Blueprints were rarely part of the process, which tended to be more improvisational.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
During various interviews last week, Minter talked about wanting to make things easier on Jackson, playing on schedule more and relying less on the quarterback’s improvisational skills to bail out the Ravens.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offhanded. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
