offhand

• off-hand

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.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɔfˈhænd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænd

offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)

1. Without planning or thinking ahead.

   She gave an offhand speech.

   • 1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Inside the Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York Magazine‎:

     He must also be fluent in obscenity, offhand in sex. Most important of all, he must play tough.

2. Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.

   He doesn't realise how hurtful his offhand remarks can be.

3. Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.

   She was quite offhand with me yesterday.

• (without planning): impromptu, extemporaneous, off-the-cuff; see also Thesaurus:impromptu

• off the top of one's head

offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)

1. Right away, immediately, without thinking about it.

   Offhand, I'd guess that that's a yellow-bellied sapsucker.

   • 1854, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Rose and the Ring:

     We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married offhand!

2. In an abrupt or unfriendly manner.

• hand off, hand-off, handoff