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Glite Dictionary
out of key

out of key

1 5.8
Not singing or playing the right musical notes
  • idiom
translation icon : desafinado
  • When she tried to sing along, her voice was out of key with the music.
  • singing out of key

Examples

  • Sorry it's so out of key.

    My Life Without Me (2003)

  • - And I'll try not to sing out of key -

    Across the Universe (2007)

  • Because songs that are out of key will clash.

    Blog text (23)

  • The band sounded terrible because they were all playing out of key during the performance.

  • He realized his guitar was out of key after hearing the recording of their practice.

Synonyms

off-key
vsout of key
12 4.5

A voice or instrument that sounds in the wrong pitch

is a broader term for anything not matching correct musical pitch
out of tune
vsout of key
12 3.3

Notes are at the wrong pitch so a piano or violin sounds bad

is used more generally for mismatch beyond single notes
false
vsout of key
2 6.1

Not in tune with the other notes

is the common word for not matching the correct pitch
untuned
vsout of key
5.3

Not at the right pitch and sounds wrong when played

is more about sounding wrong than lacking adjustment
unattuned
vsout of key
7.5

Not tuned to the correct musical pitch

is narrower, focusing on pitch mismatch in music specifically

Antonyms

in tune
31 3.7

Agreeing and working well with other people or ideas

harmonious
2 4.2

Sounds that blend in a pleasant way

How In-Tune

in tune
31 3.7
out of key
1 5.8
off-key
12 4.5

Surface Forms

out of key positive

Morphology

out + of + key

The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'out (of)' meaning 'not in' and 'key' meaning the musical tonality, so 'out of key' literally means 'not in the correct key' or 'out of tune'. This follows a common English 'out of X' negation pattern (and similar constructions in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrase out of key comes from music: the key is the main group of notes for a song, so when a singer or instrument uses notes outside that group they sound wrong. That's why out of key means 'not in the correct musical pitch'.