Synonyms

off year

American

noun

a year without a major, especially presidential, election.
a year marked by reduced or inferior production or activity in a particular field, as farming, business, or sports.

With its wet, cold summer, this was an off year for grapes.

Other Word Forms

off-year adjective

Etymology

Origin of off year

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

Last year’s blitz of bills, capping off years of gradual legislative efforts to remove regulatory barriers to building dense housing across California, has, in Wicks’ view, teed up this next big swing.

From Los Angeles Times

New Zealand’s economy is slowly shaking off years of extended weakness, with heightened geopolitical and financial market risk around the world likely to be a further brake on its recovery.

From The Wall Street Journal

He never broke into the National Hockey League but was chosen to captain Team Canada in 1999 and 2000, off years for the Winter Olympics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Target is coming off years of declining sales and foot traffic, shrinking profits, and a steady deterioration in the store experience.

From Barron's

This so-called "off year" election doesn't feature presidential or congressional races, but there are still several critical votes to watch tonight.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023