offhand

1 of 2

adverb

off·​hand ˈȯf-ˈhand 

-ˌhand

: without premeditation or preparation : extempore

couldn't give the figures offhand

offhand

2 of 2

adjective

1

: casual, informal

a relaxed, offhand manner

2

: done or made offhand

offhand excuses

Synonyms

Adjective

• ad hoc
• ad-lib
• down and dirty
• extemporaneous
• extemporary
• extempore
• impromptu
• improvisational
• improvised
• off-the-cuff
• offhanded
• snap
• spur-of-the-moment
• unconsidered
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unprepared
• unrehearsed
• unstudied

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

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

While that is technically true — Drew reached junior black belt status learning TaeKwonDo in eighth grade — the offhand remark caused a serious misunderstanding. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024

Don’t underestimate the effect that an offhand comment could have on stoking the flames of a deeper conflict, though. —Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1680, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

offhand

adverb or adjective

off·​hand

ˈȯf-ˈhand

: without previous thought or preparation

can't say offhand how many there are