Meanings
adjectiveoff-beam (comparative more off-beam, superlative most off-beam)
comparative more off-beam · superlative most off-beam
- Off course; by extension, mistaken or irrelevant.
From their quizzical looks she surmised she was way off-beam.
1 more example
No one to help you get up steam And the whirlpool turns you way off-beam.
1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull - alternativeAlternative form of offbeam.
Origin
From navigation, such as an aeroplane following a radio beam.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
off-beam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off-beam
MLA
“off-beam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off-beam. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “off-beam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off-beam.
Source: off-beam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.