off-col·or

(ôf′kŭl′ər, ŏf′-)

adj.

1. Exhibiting bad taste: an off-color joke.

2. Varying from the usual, expected, or required color.

3. Not in good health or spirits.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

off′-col′or

adj.

1. not having the usual or standard color.

2. of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué.

3. not in one's usual health.

Also, off′-col′ored (for defs. 1,2).

[1855–60]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	off-color - in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent; "an indelicate remark"; "an off-color joke" indelicate, off-colour tasteless - lacking aesthetic or social taste
	2.	off-color - humorously vulgar; "bawdy songs"; "off-color jokes"; "ribald language" bawdy, ribald dirty - (of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency; "dirty words"; "a dirty old man"; "dirty books and movies"; "boys telling dirty jokes"; "has a dirty mouth"

off-color

adjective

1. Bordering on indelicacy or impropriety:

blue, earthy, provocative, racy, risqué, salty, scabrous, spicy, suggestive.

2. Affected or tending to be affected with minor health problems:

ailing, indisposed, low, mean, rocky, sickly.

Idiom: under the weather.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The photograph was certainly very off-colored. An unkind critic might easily have misinterpreted that dim surface.

View in context

The song "Bad Dog," by the Cannibal Ramblers, is more than a little off-color and very, VERY much off-kilter.

`Dog' bite; Clubs

One described a $6,000-a-month payment made to a Middle Eastern source, another carried bits of gossip dropped by a retired spy, and many were filled with off-color office banter.

WikiLeaks strikes again

Recently, I came up with the 10th, which is slightly off-color:

~ Another silly love song?

The Associated Press reported that when a reporter questioned the effectiveness of Chicago's gun ban, Daley picked up a gun the police had seized and responded, "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is." Daley later apologized for the off-color comment, but told the media he hopes his comments will get people thinking about the dangers of guns.

Mayor Daley apologizes