: an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
: different from the ordinary, usual, or expected in usually an appealing way : eccentric, unconventional
an offbeat romantic comedy
… you have to drive through a shallow stream to reach this wonderfully offbeat inn, hiding behind immaculate rows of fruit trees. But it's worth it.—
William Sertl
William SertlLuscious ice cream made fresh daily comes in such offbeat flavors as banana-walnut, chocolate-cherry, and nectarine.—Caroline Bates
Caroline Bates… our profession's deepest and darkest secret—that libraries are a ball to work in and that librarians tend to be rather offbeat and funky people.—Will Manley
Will ManleySynonyms
Adjective
Examples of offbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
She has an offbeat sense of humor.
He often plays offbeat characters in his films.
an offbeat approach to teaching
The performance was refreshingly offbeat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
As Neumann prepares the 30th film festival (the 2023 event runs Sept. 13-17), that original Oldenburg spirit — the celebration of the offbeat, the weird and the fiercely radical — remains his guiding light.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023
Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 17 Dec. 2024
Even newish presenter Alison Hammond, who has found her footing as the sunny circle to veteran Noel Fielding’s offbeat line, turned personal a moment, delivering a pep talk about positive thinking to keep pediatric nurse Georgie Grasso from quitting the semifinal.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
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Noun
Burke has revived his show for the streaming age, with six new episodes about the way things change, maintaining the series’s integrity and also its appetite for the offbeat.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
As Neumann prepares the 30th film festival (the 2023 event runs Sept. 13-17), that original Oldenburg spirit — the celebration of the offbeat, the weird and the fiercely radical — remains his guiding light.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023
Adjective
Lovers of old-school charm will appreciate the converted riverfront mill buildings that form the bulk of downtown, while more new-school visitors will love the town’s artsy, offbeat spirit.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 17 Dec. 2024
Even newish presenter Alison Hammond, who has found her footing as the sunny circle to veteran Noel Fielding’s offbeat line, turned personal a moment, delivering a pep talk about positive thinking to keep pediatric nurse Georgie Grasso from quitting the semifinal.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offbeat
Dictionary Entries Near offbeat
Cite this Entry
“Offbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offbeat. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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