offhand

See also: off-hand

English

Alternative forms

• off-hand

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɔfˈhænd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænd

Adjective

offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)

1. Without planning or thinking ahead.

   She gave an offhand speech.

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.

Synonyms

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

Translations

without planning or thinking ahead

• French: spontanément (fr), sur-le-champ (fr)
• German: schluderig, unüberlegt (de), spontan (de), unbesonnen
• Portuguese: improviso (pt)

• Russian: бесцеремо́нный (ru) (besceremónnyj)
• Spanish: indiferente (es), espóntaneo, irreflexivo (es)

careless

• French: négligent (fr)
• German: unvorsichtig, nachlässig (de), unüberlegt (de), unbesonnen

• Russian: неосторо́жный (ru) (neostoróžnyj)
• Spanish: descuidado (es), insensato (es)

curt, unfriendly

• German: unfreundlich (de)
• Russian: ре́зкий (ru) (rézkij), гру́бый (ru) (grúbyj), недружелю́бный (ru) (nedruželjúbnyj)

• Scottish Gaelic: fionnar
• Spanish: frío (es)

See also

• off the top of one's head

Adverb

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 offhand (adjective) manner.

Anagrams

• hand off, hand-off, handoff