: an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
: different from the ordinary, usual, or expected in usually an appealing way : eccentric, unconventional
an offbeat romantic comedy
… you have to drive through a shallow stream to reach this wonderfully offbeat inn, hiding behind immaculate rows of fruit trees. But it's worth it.—
William Sertl
William SertlLuscious ice cream made fresh daily comes in such offbeat flavors as banana-walnut, chocolate-cherry, and nectarine.—Caroline Bates
Caroline Bates… our profession's deepest and darkest secret—that libraries are a ball to work in and that librarians tend to be rather offbeat and funky people.—Will Manley
Will ManleySynonyms
Adjective
Examples of offbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
She has an offbeat sense of humor.
He often plays offbeat characters in his films.
an offbeat approach to teaching
The performance was refreshingly offbeat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
As Neumann prepares the 30th film festival (the 2023 event runs Sept. 13-17), that original Oldenburg spirit — the celebration of the offbeat, the weird and the fiercely radical — remains his guiding light.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023
Carol Besler, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024
In the early going, all that really distinguishes it from Sheridan’s other shows is a promising premise and an offbeat lead performance.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offbeat 
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Noun
Burke has revived his show for the streaming age, with six new episodes about the way things change, maintaining the series’s integrity and also its appetite for the offbeat.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
As Neumann prepares the 30th film festival (the 2023 event runs Sept. 13-17), that original Oldenburg spirit — the celebration of the offbeat, the weird and the fiercely radical — remains his guiding light.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023
Adjective
No inspiration, idea or offbeat collaboration is too crazy.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024
In the early going, all that really distinguishes it from Sheridan’s other shows is a promising premise and an offbeat lead performance.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offbeat
Dictionary Entries Near offbeat
Cite this Entry
“Offbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offbeat. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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