offhand

Etymology

From Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende (“absent, lost”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *abahandijaz. Equivalent to off- + hand. Cognate with Icelandic afhendur. Compare onhand.

adj

1. Without planning or thinking ahead.
   She gave an offhand speech.
   He must also be fluent in obscenity, offhand in sex. Most important of all, he must play tough. June 7, 1976, Nik Cohn, “Inside the Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York Magazine
2. Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.
   He doesn't realise how hurtful his offhand remarks can be.
3. Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.
   She was quite offhand with me yesterday.

adv

1. Right away, immediately, without thinking about it.
   Offhand, I'd guess that that's a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
   We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married offhand! 1854, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Rose and the Ring
2. In an offhand (adjective) manner.