Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Music Pitched higher or lower than the correct notes of a melody.
- adj. Being out of accord with what is considered normal or appropriate: a high-flown, off-key speech by a newcomer.
Wiktionary
- adj. music pitched inaccurately either above or below the correct note
- adj. by extension not harmonious, or out of accord
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Deviating from the proper pitch; -- of a musical note or series of notes.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. inaccurate in pitch
Examples
“In this case, it sounds as if the President blew off the question so, if it was orchestrated, the orchestra was off-key.”
“The unconscionable truth fused his mind, body and soul in a foreign uncertainty and the rhythm that had heretofore produced harmony in his life was now off-key.”
“In the decades since, the record's off-key vocals and hapless rhythms have made it both a musical punch line and, remarkably, a contrarian rallying point for inscrutable art.”
“How we watch some hundred billion stars slide left to right each night while coyotes wail off-key and bats dip and swoop in their nightly smorgasbord.”
December « 2009 « poetry dispatch & other notes from the underground
“Worried that the normal partisan overtones at the State of the Union address would seem off-key after the Jan. 8 shooting that targeted Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, some lawmakers sat with their colleagues across the aisle to listen to President Obama's speech.”
The Wall Street Journal: Odd Couples at the State of the Union
““You can have whatever you like,” Dyme sang off-key.”
“Eyes closed, she danced with the woman in her memory, slipping into her own off-key hum to accompany her steps when the words failed her.”
“After you play her, everyone sounds off-key, second-rate.”
“For this and a lot else we can forgive Mr. Lowe his good looks and, also, his off-key rendering of the local accent.”
“Will is no church-choir singer boy, but he has this raspy, cool, melodic style which, to our surprise, was neither pitchy or off-key.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘off-key’.
-
GRE List
anthem, ablution, apocrypha, augur, cardinal, cathedral, chant, chapel, cloister, conformist, cult, devout and 145 more...
-
A Change of Plan
A list of words used in a story about a thirteen-year-old boy name Eduardo who bought an old bike from the money he earned weeding, hoeing, and working during spring vacation. Eduardo loved and pla...
gravel path, weeding, hoeing, hummed, preparations, journey, off-key, contributor
Tweets
Looking for tweets for off-key.
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.