: without premeditation or preparation : extempore
couldn't give the figures offhand
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
Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
And Rahmani rarely rests on clichés, even in the most offhand description.
—Porochista Khakpour, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offhand
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.
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
Then again, attributing coherent strategy to what’s often a chaotic stream of mixed signals, offhand remarks, and rapidly shifting narratives may be a reach.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
And Rahmani rarely rests on clichés, even in the most offhand description.
—Porochista Khakpour, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offhand
Cite this Entry
“Offhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offhand. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share