off-key

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He and his comrades were often forced to sing Soviet songs and were punished if they didn't sing "loud enough or sang off-key".

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

These songs look and feel like old-Hollywood-style musical numbers, but charm because of their imperfections; characters sing off-key, they lose their breath and their voices crack.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2024

That moment when Jake sings an off-key version of “...Baby One More Time” is “burned into my frontal cortex,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024

True to Caray, it appealed to the masses for being endearingly off-key.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2023

“Home sweet home,” Mom sang off-key as the Toyota chugged into the driveway.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas