: without premeditation or preparation : extempore
couldn't give the figures offhand
Synonyms
Examples of offhand in a Sentence
Adverb
I couldn't give them the figures offhand.
Do you happen to know, offhand, when he'll be back?
Adjective
It was just an offhand remark.
She spoke in an offhand manner.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2022
The Trolley Problem entails having to make difficult choices, contextually herein in the nature of driving decisions, and is often offhand dismissed by some as a misleading folly in the self-driving realm.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Ulrich Kühn, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
One or two offhand comments could have changed everything for me.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offhand 
Adverb
Mara, Lisa and Astrid say bizarre and unsettling things, their cruelty and spite sometimes offhand, sometimes calculated.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2022
The Trolley Problem entails having to make difficult choices, contextually herein in the nature of driving decisions, and is often offhand dismissed by some as a misleading folly in the self-driving realm.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021
Adjective
As the sudden desire for nuclear weapons in Germany demonstrates, even offhand remarks calling into question European security can have serious consequences.
—Ulrich Kühn, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
One or two offhand comments could have changed everything for me.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offhand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offhand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near offhand
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offhand. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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