• Offbeat

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -iːt

    Alternative forms

    Origin

    From - + beat; not following the beat (e.g., of a drum that sounds out cadence)

    Full definition of offbeat

    Noun

    offbeat

    (plural offbeats)
    1. (music) The beats not normally accented in a measure.The congregation clapped along on the offbeat.
    2. (slang) An unconventional person, someone who does not follow the beat, who chooses not to conform.
      • 1977, Lyle W Dorsett, The Queen City: a history of DenverNo one dignified such offbeats by responding to their outcries. Today, the "knockers of progress" have become a force that cannot be ignored.
      • 1980, Eleanor C. Hein, Communication in nursing practice Chapter , Being an oddball, an offbeat, or a creative person, as Jourard sees the committed professional, is something all nurses should risk.
      • 2001, Andrew Yoder, Pirate Radio StationsIn addition to creating a web of stories that will be passed through many generations, these offbeats usually strengthen the fiber of their particular hobby...

    Adjective

    offbeat

    1. Unusual, unconventional, not ordinary.He has such an offbeat sense of humor that hardly anyone finds his jokes amusing.

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