off course
Not on track
Off course means deviating from an intended path or direction.
A ship blown off course by a storm has strayed from its planned route.
The phrase extends to any departure from a plan or objective: The project went off course when funding dried up.
Often contrasted with on course.
Off the right path
- adriftFloating without control
- veeringChanging direction suddenly
- driftingMoving without purpose
- waywardStubbornly self-willed
disoriented · wandering · strayed · lost · misdirected · diverted · deflected · rerouted
Incorrectly understood or believed
- misguidedBased on poor judgment
- misinformedGiven incorrect facts
- errantDeviating from proper course
- faultyHaving defects or errors
incorrect · inaccurate · wrong · blunder · miscalculated · misjudged · erring · oversight
Abrupt directional change
- veerChange course suddenly
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- strayWander from course
- divergeSeparate into directions
deflect · detour · divert · deviate · meander · zigzag · shift · bend
Left stranded and helpless
- shipwreckedStranded by maritime disaster
- castawayShipwrecked and stranded person
- beachedStuck on land
- groundedStable and realistic
stranded · isolated · adrift · abandoned · wrecked · run aground · foundered · lost at sea
astray
Off the right path
wayward · disoriented · wandering · strayed · lost · misdirected · diverted · deflected · rerouted · miscalculated
mistaken
Incorrectly understood or believed
- misguidedBased on poor judgment
- misinformedGiven incorrect facts
- errantDeviating from proper course
faulty · incorrect · inaccurate · wrong · blunder · miscalculated · misjudged · erring · oversight · flawed
swerve
Abrupt directional change
diverge · deflect · detour · divert · deviate · meander · zigzag · shift · bend · skew
marooned
Left stranded and helpless
- shipwreckedStranded by maritime disaster
- castawayShipwrecked and stranded person
- beachedStuck on land
grounded · stranded · isolated · adrift · abandoned · wrecked · run aground · foundered · lost at sea · deserted
- GPS statusarrived, rerouting, lost, approaching, navigating
- navigation errorsmissed exit, wrong direction, wrong way, getting lost, wrong route
- getting lostdead end, wandering, confusion, maze, backtracking
- Going astraywandering, straying, drifting, getting lost, deviating
- lostlost, missing, mislaid, misplaced, gone
- off targetwide of the mark, wide, miss, misfire, astray
off courseon course
Following intended path
on target · on track · true north · aligned · locked on
off courseon track
Progressing as intended
on target · according to plan · on the right track · on schedule · right on
off, course, courses, coursing, off-course, recourse, coursed