Offhand Meaning
/ˌɔfˈhænd/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjWithout planning or thinking ahead.
adjCareless; without sufficient thought or consideration.
Sentence Examples
I am unable to say anything offhand.
I cannot answer your request offhand.
Now don't get upset. It was just an offhand remark.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ remark made without any thought hurt his friend's feelings deeply.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ remark about the project upset the team, even though he claimed it was just a joke.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He must also be fluent in obscenity, offhand in sex. Most important of all, he must play tough."
— 1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Inside the Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York Magazine:
"In September 2019, on the papal plane en route to Mozambique, Francis acknowledged the sharp opposition he faced from conservative detractors in the United States in an offhand remark. He said, it was “an honor that the Americans attack me.”"
— 2025 April 21, Jason Horowitz, Jim Yardley, “Francis, the First Latin American Pope, Dies at 88”, in The New York Times:
"We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married offhand!"
— 1854, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Rose and the Ring:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ remark made without any thought hurt his friend's feelings deeply.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ remark about the project upset the team, even though he claimed it was just a joke.