offhand

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   in a casually inconsiderate manner

   I replied in an offhand tone when my mother asked me if I had already made my bed.

2. 2
   adv

   without previous thought or preparation

   couldn't give the figures offhand

3. 3
   adj

   casually thoughtless or inconsiderate

   an offhand manner

4. 4
   adj

   Without planning or thinking ahead.

   She gave an offhand speech.

5. 5
   adj

   Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.

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

6. 6
   adj

   Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.

   She was quite offhand with me yesterday.

7. 7
   adv

   Right away, immediately, without thinking about it.

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

8. 8
   adj

   with little or no preparation or forethought

Etymology

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.