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

Amid all of this, responses from the administration were sometimes glaringly off-key.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2025

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

And as for all those off-key notes, “Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional singers, and they shouldn’t sound like they are,” Gaga told Vogue.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2024

It was only moments later that she heard off-key humming and saw a girl marching between the trees, a spear in one hand.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray