offbeat

[adj. awf-beet, of-; n. awf-beet, of-] /adj. ˈɔfˈbit, ˈɒf-; n. ˈɔfˌbit, ˈɒf-/
adjective
1.
differing from the usual or expected; unconventional:
an offbeat comedian.
noun
2.
Music. an unaccented beat of a measure.
Origin
1925-30; off + beat
Examples from the web for offbeat
  • But the box-office returns accrued by offbeat hits suggest a symbiotic relationship.
  • Jellyfish species have all kinds of offbeat common names: fried-egg jellies, cabbage heads, big reds.
  • We are always looking for offbeat subjects and profiles.
  • Her offbeat biography adds to the difficulty of pinning her down.
  • There were a handful that were so wonderfully odd and offbeat.
  • Eventually the miscellany settles into an offbeat, abstract commentary on the preoccupation with material wealth and appearances.
  • And yet there's plenty of offbeat and edge case scenarios given what we've discovered so far.
  • Give costly new planters the boot by reusing offbeat materials.
  • Look for offbeat perspectives that can include humor, shadows, and reflections.
  • The route is a haunting shape-shifter, splintering into paths toward small crossroad communities and offbeat sights.
British Dictionary definitions for offbeat

offbeat

/ˈɒfˌbiːt/
noun
1.
(music) any of the normally unaccented beats in a bar, such as the second and fourth beats in a bar of four-four time. They are stressed in most rock and some jazz and dance music, such as the bossa nova
adjective
2.
  1. unusual, unconventional, or eccentric
  2. (as noun): he liked the offbeat in fashion
Slang definitions & phrases for offbeat

offbeat

adjective

Unusual; unconventional; strange: the offbeat death in an off-Broadway hotel/ its offbeat ad seeking 10 Renaissance-type men

[1935+; fr the interruption of a regular rhythm in music]