off-colour

off-col·our

O o

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [awf, of kuhl-er]
- /ɔf, ɒf ˈkʌl ər/
- /ɒf ˈkʌlə(r)/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [awf, of kuhl-er]
- /ɔf, ɒf ˈkʌl ər/

Definitions of off-colour word

adjective off-colour not having the usual or standard color: an off-color gem. 1
adjective off-colour of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué: an off-color joke. 1
adjective off-colour not in one's usual health: to feel off-color. 1
adjective off-colour If you say that you are feeling off-colour, you mean that you are slightly ill. 0
adjective off-colour If you say that someone's performance is off-colour, you mean that they are not performing as well as they usually do. 0
graded adjective off-colour An off-colour joke or remark is rather rude or offensive. 0

See all 8 definitions of off-colour

Information block about the term

Origin of off-colour

First appearance:

before 1855

One of the 30% newest English words

First recorded in 1855-60

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Off-colour

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Off-colour

off-colour popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 34% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 61% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

Synonyms for off-colour

adjective off-colour

grim — stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise: grim determination; grim necessity.

Just one Synonym for off-colour