adjective
- not in the correct musical pitch; out of tune
- inappropriate or unsuitable for the situation
Usage: figurative
adverb
- in a way that is not in the correct musical pitch
Examples
- The singer was completely off-key during the entire performance.
- His off-key rendition of the national anthem embarrassed everyone.
- She sang off-key because she couldn’t hear the piano accompaniment.
- The comedian’s off-key jokes fell flat with the audience.
- His off-key remarks about the tragedy were deeply inappropriate.
- The piano was off-key and needed to be tuned immediately.
- Her voice sounded off-key compared to the rest of the choir.