off-key

adjective or adverb

ˈȯf-ˈkē How to pronounce off-key (audio)
Synonyms of off-keynext
1
: varying in pitch from the proper tone of a melody
2
: irregular, anomalous

Examples of off-key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But that doesn’t keep the moments in the film’s last passage from feeling off-key. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 Recurring bits like Opera Man, where Sandler, draped in a cape, regaled Weekend Update with off-key, operatic renditions of the news of the day, weren’t exactly tight political satire. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2026 Forbidden Compass feels bafflingly out of touch and off-key, with the flavor of supermarket own-brand cornflakes. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 By 1988, when Phantom debuted on Broadway, the Reagan-era consumer culture and flashy opulence were on their way out, so the ornate, maximalist sets and the lush orchestrations felt off-key to reviewers. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-key

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-key was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

offish
off-key
off-kilter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-key. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

off-key

adjective or adverb
ˈȯf-ˈkē
: above or below the proper tone of a melody
singing off-key

More from Merriam-Webster on off-key

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