off the mark

prepositional phrase

Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

“His answers are consistently off the mark. None of them quite make sense.”

Similar
wide of the markoff baseoff-trackoff target
Opposite
on the markon the moneyon the dotbang on
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. figurativelyInaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

    His answers are consistently off the mark. None of them quite make sense.

    1 more example

    Whatever the outcome, Fleet Street's introspective pundits will say: "I told you so", and make dire predictions for the future, which are likely to be off the mark.

    2014 September 8, Michael White, “Roll up, roll up! The Amazing Salmond will show a Scotland you won't believe”, in The Guardian

    Synonyms: wide of the mark, off base, off-track, off target · Antonyms: on the mark, on the money, on the dot, bang on

  2. Making a start (generally in comparison to others).

    Sarafov was the first off the mark, but the other divisions did not jump off until an hour later and achieved nothing.

    2017, E. R. Hooton, Prelude to the First World War: The Balkan Wars 1912-1913, page iv

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseInaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

Similar
wide of the markoff baseoff-trackoff target
Opposite
on the markon the moneyon the dotbang on
Also see
wide of the mark

Translations

Dutch de plank misslaan
  • de plank misslaaninaccurate
Finnish asian vierestä
  • asian vierestäinaccurate
French à côté de la plaque
  • à côté de la plaqueinaccurate
German auf dem falschen Dampfer
  • auf dem falschen Dampferinaccurate
Icelandic vera úti að aka
  • vera úti að akainaccurate
Irish i bhfad ón sprioc
  • i bhfad ón spriocinaccurate
Italian inappropriato
  • inappropriatoinaccurate
Japanese 的外れ
  • 的外れ (matohazure)inaccurate
Polish nietrafny, błędny
  • nietrafnyinaccurate
  • błędnyinaccurate
  • mylnyinaccurate
Spanish fuera de la marca, lejos de la marca
  • fuera de la marcainaccurate
  • lejos de la marcainaccurate
  • equivocadoinaccurate
Swedish vara ute och cykla
  • vara ute och cyklainaccurate
Cite this entry
APA

off the mark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20mark

MLA

“off the mark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20mark. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “off the mark,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20mark.

Source: off the mark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.