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offhand

3 antonyms for offhand — opposites grouped by meaning.

Adj — Said or done without preparation or careful thought.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Said or done without preparation or careful thought.

“He gave an offhand answer without checking the facts.”

unrehearsed extemporary impromptu extemporaneous off-the-cuff extempore offhanded

Opposites

2. adv

Without prior thought or preparation; off the top of one's head.

“I can't tell you the exact date offhand, but I'll check.”

offhandedly offhanded

Antonyms

How to use offhand

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

offhand remark off the top of my head an offhand manner

Etymology

From an old sense of "off hand" meaning done immediately, without planning ahead — as if the answer came straight off the hand rather than being carefully worked out.

Full origin of offhand →

Frequently asked questions

What does “offhand” mean?
The word “offhand” means said or done without preparation or careful thought. In plain terms, said or done casually, without preparation — or, said of manner, a bit curt.
How do you pronounce “offhand”?
“Offhand” is pronounced awf-HAND (/ˌɔfˈhænd/ in IPA).
How do you use “offhand” in a sentence?
Here is “offhand” used in a sentence: “He gave an offhand answer without checking the facts.”
What is another word for “offhand”?
Words with a similar meaning to “offhand” include extemporaneous and off-the-cuff.
What part of speech is “offhand”?
Depending on how it is used, “offhand” can be an adjective and an adverb.
How many meanings does “offhand” have?
“Offhand” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: said or done without preparation or careful thought.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.