offbeat

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off·beat

(ôf′bēt′, ŏf′-)

n. Music

An unaccented beat in a measure.

adj. (ôf′bēt′, ŏf′-) Slang

Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

offbeat

(ˈɒfˌbiːt)

(Classical Music) music any of the normally unaccented beats in a bar, such as the second and fourth beats in a bar of four-four time. They are stressed in most rock and some jazz and dance music, such as the bossa nova

adj

a. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric

b. (as noun): he liked the offbeat in fashion.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

off•beat

(adj. ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-; n. -ˌbit)

adj.

1. differing from the usual or expected; unconventional: an offbeat comedian.

2. an unaccented beat of a measure in music.

[1925–30]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	offbeat - an unaccented beat (especially the last beat of a measure) upbeat musical rhythm, rhythm, beat - the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music; "the piece has a fast rhythm"; "the conductor set the beat"
Adj.	1.	offbeat - informal terms; strikingly unconventional far-out, quirky, way-out, kinky unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles"

offbeat

adjective unusual, odd, strange, novel, out there (slang), extraordinary, bizarre, weird, way-out (informal), eccentric, abnormal, queer, irregular, rum (Brit. slang), uncommon, Bohemian, unconventional, far-out (slang), idiosyncratic, kinky (informal), off-the-wall (slang), unorthodox, oddball (informal), out of the ordinary, left-field (informal), freaky (slang), wacko (slang), outré, boho his dark, offbeat sense of humour
common, traditional, normal, usual, ordinary, conventional, orthodox, stereotyped, run-of-the-mill, unoriginal

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

offbeat

adjective

Slang. Not usual or ordinary:

atypic, atypical, novel, unconventional, unordinary, unusual, unwonted.

Translations

epätavallinenomituinen

offbeat

[ˈɒfˌbiːt] ADJ → excéntrico, original

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

offbeat

[ˌɒfˈbiːt] adj → excentriqueoff-centre [ˌɒfˈsɛntə^r]

adj → décentré(e), excentré(e)

adv
to position sth off-centre → excentrer qchoff-chance off chance [ˈɒftʃɑːns] n
on the off chance → à tout hasard
I came on the off chance I'd see her → Je suis venu à tout hasard, en pensant que je la verrais peut-être.off-colour [ˌɒfˈkʌlə^r] adj (British) to be off-colour (= unwell) → ne pas être dans son assiette
He's a bit off-colour today → Il n'est pas dans son assiette aujourd'hui.
to feel off-colour → être mal fichuoff day off-day [ˈɒfdeɪ] n

(= bad day) to have an off day → avoir un jour sans
He had an off day → Il a eu un jour sans., Il n'était pas en forme.

(US) (= holiday) → jour m de congéoff-duty off duty [ˌɒfˈdjuːti] adj (= not on duty) [soldier] → qui n'est pas en service; [policeman] → hors service, qui n'est pas en service

offbeat

[ˌɒfˈbiːt] adj (fig) → originale, anticonvenzionale

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References in periodicals archive ?

In particular, the concept of an implied (virtual) off beat between adjacent stresses compensated for elsewhere in the line by extra offbeats is abandoned.