off-the-cuff

off-the-cuff — 形容詞

1. describes something said or written on the spot, without time to plan the wordin

1.形容詞C1
釋義

即興的

事先未準備、當場想到才說的

describes something said or written on the spot, without time to plan the wording or check the facts first

例句

Felipe gave an off-the-cuff answer when the journalist asked about the new tax law.

當記者問到新的稅法時，Felipe 給了一個即興的回答。

attributive: an off-the-cuff + noun

The senator's off-the-cuff comment about retired nurses caused anger on social media.

那位參議員對退休護理師的即興評論在社群媒體上引起怒火。

collocation: off-the-cuff comment / remark

同義詞
  • impromptu

    very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used for performances or speeches

  • spontaneous

    broader; can describe a feeling or action, not only a piece of speech

  • unrehearsed

    focuses on lack of practice, not the absence of forethought

反義詞
  • prepared

    general opposite — planned beforehand

  • scripted

    specifically about words written out in advance, often for media

文法句型

an off-the-cuff + noun

off-the-cuff remark/comment/answer

用法筆記

Almost always sits before a noun (an off-the-cuff remark/answer/joke). Predicative use after 'be' (the answer was off-the-cuff) is grammatical but rarer. Carries a faint warning: such remarks are spontaneous, so they may be tactless or inaccurate.

常見錯誤

❌I made an off-the-cuff for the meeting.
✅I made an off-the-cuff remark during the meeting.
💡off-the-cuff is an adjective, so a noun (remark, comment, answer) must follow it.

off-the-cuff — 慣用語