offbeat

• off-beat, off beat

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

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈɒfbiːt/
• (adjective) IPA^(key): /ɒfˈbiːt/

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• Rhymes: -iːt

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.

   Synonyms: oddball, free spirit, heteroclite, individualist, nonconformist; see also Thesaurus:maverick, Thesaurus:strange person

   • 1977, Lyle W. Dorsett, The Queen City: A History of Denver:

     No 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, →ISBN, page 16:

     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 Stations:

     In addition to creating a web of stories that will be passed through many generations, these offbeats usually strengthen the fiber of their particular hobby […]

offbeat (comparative more offbeat, superlative most offbeat)

1. Unusual; unconventional; not ordinary.

   Synonyms: odd, peculiar, weird; see also Thesaurus:strange

   He has such an offbeat sense of humor that hardly anyone finds his jokes amusing.

• beat off