off-color

adjective

off-col·​or ˈȯf-ˈkə-lər How to pronounce off-color (audio)
variants or off-colored
1
a
: not having the right or standard color
b
: being out of sorts
2
a
: of doubtful propriety : dubious
b
: verging on the indecent
off-color remarks

Examples of off-color in a Sentence

the movie was rated PG-13 for some swearing and off-color jokes
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The race, which pitted a brazenly off-color indie-spirited musical with puppets against a commercial juggernaut from Oz, culminated in a collective gasp when the envelope was read. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024 When McNeil got fired for an off-color tweet in 2020, Score boss Mitch Rosen reunited Parkins and Spiegel in the afternoons in February 2021. Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 13 Aug. 2024 The offensive comment from the comedian who also made an off-color joke about the O.J. Simpson murders tied to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, set up more than a dozen other opening speakers who warmed up the crowd for Trump with equally offensive comments. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024 Criticism of Trump's off-color remarks, as well as the manner in which his campaign has been run, reached a peak following the candidate's Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for off-color 

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-color was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near off-color

Cite this Entry

“Off-color.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-color. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!