off-key

Thân thiện

The singer hit an off-key note during the performance.

Definition

Adjective 1. Inaccurate in pitch; not in tune: Describes a musical sound, note, or performance that is not at the correct pitch, often sounding unpleasant or discordant. 2. Inappropriate or incongruous: Used figuratively to describe something that is out of harmony with its surroundings or context; a remark, action, or element that seems wrong or unsuitable.

Usage

The adjective off-key is used to describe sounds, especially in music, that are not in tune. It is often used predicatively (after a linking verb like sound, seem, be). It can also be used attributively (before a noun). In its figurative sense, it describes things that are out of place.

Examples

• Adjective (Literal - Music):
  • The choir sounded off-key during the rehearsal.
  • He hit an off-key note that made everyone wince.
  • "Her singing was off-key," the critic wrote.
• Adjective (Figurative - Incongruous):
  • His joke about the serious topic felt off-key and awkward.
  • The bright pink furniture was an off-key element in the otherwise minimalist room.
  • There was an off-key tone of sarcasm in her otherwise polite email.

Advanced Usage

• "to sound/strike an off-key note": This phrase is used both literally for music and figuratively to introduce an element of discord or inappropriateness into a situation.
  • The ambassador's casual remark struck an off-key note during the formal negotiations.

Variants and Related Words

• Off-key (adverb): Less common, but can be used to describe how something is sung or played.
  • She sang off-key.
• Out of tune: A common synonym for the musical meaning.
• Discordant: Describes a harsh, clashing sound; also used figuratively for lack of agreement.
• Atonal: A technical musical term for music that lacks a tonal center, not simply out-of-tune singing.

Synonyms

• Flat (specifically for a note below the correct pitch)
• Sharp (specifically for a note above the correct pitch)
• Sour (informal, for musical pitch)
• False (archaic or literary, for musical pitch)
• Incongruous, Inappropriate, Jarring (for the figurative sense)

Related Idioms

• To be out of sync (with) / Out of step (with): While not specifically about pitch, these idioms share the figurative meaning of being not in harmony or agreement with something else.
  • His management style was out of sync with the company's collaborative culture.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. inaccurate in pitch
   • a false (or sour) note
   • her singing was off key

Từ đồng nghĩa

• false
• sour