Offhand vs Desultory - What's the difference?
offhand | desultory | Related terms |
without planning or thinking ahead
careless; without sufficient thought or consideration
curt, abrupt, unfriendly
right away, immediately, without thinking about it
* Offhand , I'd guess that that's a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
* 1854:' William Makepeace Thackeray, ''The Rose and the Ring'' - We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married ' offhand !
in an offhand manner
Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence.
* 1850 , , Chapter 25
Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
Disappointing in performance or progress.
(obsolete) Leaping, skipping or flitting about, generally in a random or unsteady manner.
Offhand is a related term of desultory.
As adjectives the difference between offhand and desultory
is that offhand is without planning or thinking ahead while desultory is jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence.As an adverb offhand
is right away, immediately, without thinking about it.offhand
English
Alternative forms
* off-handAdjective
(en adjective)- She gave an offhand speech.
- He doesn't realise how hurtful his offhand remarks can be.
- She was quite offhand with me yesterday.
Synonyms
* (without planning) impromptu, extemporaneous, off-the-cuff; see alsoSee also
* off the top of one's headAdverb
(en adverb)Anagrams
*desultory
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- To mend the matter, Hamlet's aunt had the family failing of indulging in soliloquy, and held forth in a desultory manner, by herself, on every topic that was introduced.
- He wandered round, cleaning up in a desultory way.
- I teach a class of desultory minds.
- I made a desultory remark while I was talking to my friend.
- She made a desultory attempt at conversation.