English Explanatory Dictionary

offhand

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Without planning or thinking ahead.
  2. Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.
  3. Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.
adv
  1. Right away, immediately, without thinking about it.
  2. In an abrupt or unfriendly manner.

Pronunciation

/ˌɔfˈhænd/ en-us-offhand.ogg

Word forms

offhand more offhand most offhand off-hand

Etymology

From Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende (“absent, lost”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *abahandijaz. Equivalent to (and re-formed as) off- + hand. Cognate with Icelandic afhendur. Compare onhand.

Synonyms

extemporaneous off-the-cuff impromptu out of hand

Related words

off the top of one's head
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