different between offhand vs cursory

English

Alternative forms

• off-hand

Etymology

From Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende (“absent, lost”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *abahandijaz. Equivalent to off- +? hand. Cognate with Icelandic afhendur. Compare onhand.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??f?hænd/
• Rhymes: -ænd

Adjective

offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)

1. Without planning or thinking ahead.

2. Careless; without sufficient thought or consideration.

3. Curt, abrupt, unfriendly.

Synonyms

• (without planning): impromptu, extemporaneous, off-the-cuff; see also Thesaurus:impromptu

Translations

See also

• off the top of one's head

Adverb

offhand (comparative more offhand, superlative most offhand)

1. 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!

2. In an offhand (adjective) manner.

Anagrams

• hand off, hand-off, handoff

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French cursoire (“rapid”), from Latin cursorius (“hasty, of a race or running”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??.s?.?i/, /?k??s.?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k??.s?.?i/, /?k??s.?i/
• (General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /?k??.s?.?i/, /?k??s.?i/
• Hyphenation: cur?so?ry, curs?ory

Adjective

cursory (comparative more cursory, superlative most cursory)

1. hasty or superficial

   Most junk mail requires only a cursory glance.

2. careless or desultory

   The cursory inspection missed several irregularities.

3. (obsolete) Running about; not stationary.

Derived terms

• cursorily
• cursoriness

Translations

Related terms

• cursor
• course

See also

• perfunctory