offhand
See also: off-hand
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende (“absent, lost”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *abahandijaz. Equivalent to (and re-formed as) off- + hand. Cognate with Icelandic afhendur. Compare onhand.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)
- Without planning or thinking ahead.
- She gave an offhand speech.
- 1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Inside the Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York Magazine[1]:
- He must also be fluent in obscenity, offhand in sex. Most important of all, he must play tough.
- Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.
- He doesn't realise how hurtful his offhand remarks can be.
- Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.
- She was quite offhand with me yesterday.
Synonyms edit
- (without planning): impromptu, extemporaneous, off-the-cuff; see also Thesaurus:impromptu
Translations edit
without planning or thinking ahead
|
careless
|
curt, unfriendly
|
See also edit
Adverb edit
offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)
- Right away, immediately, without thinking about it.
- Offhand, I'd guess that that's a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
- 1854, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Rose and the Ring:
- We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married offhand!
- In an abrupt or unfriendly manner.
Translations edit
without thinking about it
|