Etymology
From off- + beat; not following the beat (e.g., of a drum that sounds out cadence).
Noun
offbeat (plural offbeats)
- (music) The beats not normally accented in a measure.
The congregation clapped along on the offbeat.
- (slang) An unconventional person, someone who does not follow the beat, who chooses not to conform.
- Synonyms: oddball, free spirit, heteroclite, individualist, nonconformist; see also Thesaurus:maverick, Thesaurus:strange person
1977, Lyle W. Dorsett, The Queen City: A History of Denver:No one dignified such offbeats by responding to their outcries. Today, the "knockers of progress" have become a force that cannot be ignored.
1980, Eleanor C. Hein, Communication in nursing practice, →ISBN, page 16:Being an oddball, an offbeat, or a creative person, as Jourard sees the committed professional, is something all nurses should risk.
2001, Andrew Yoder, Pirate Radio Stations:In addition to creating a web of stories that will be passed through many generations, these offbeats usually strengthen the fiber of their particular hobby […]
Translations
the beat not normally accented