off target
Wide of aim
Off target means missing the intended aim or goal.
A shot that goes off target fails to hit what was aimed at.
The phrase extends to any effort that misses its mark: Her criticism was off target—I never said that.
Predictions, estimates, or accusations can all be off target when they prove inaccurate or misdirected.
- errantDeviating from proper course
- missed the markFailed to achieve goal
- astrayOff the right path
- impreciseLacking exactness or accuracy
- inaccurateNot correct or precise
miscalculated · miss · misdirected · derailed · misaligned · misguided · lost the plot · barking up the wrong tree · misfire · swing and a miss · wide of the mark · undershot · shot in the dark · wayward · whiff · awry · airball · wide
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- off targetwide of the mark, wide, miss, misfire, astray
- mishitsmishit, shank, chunk, skull, whiff
off targeton target
Accurately directed or predicted
bullseye · dead on · spot on · on the mark · right on the money
off, target, targets, targeted, targeting, off-target, on target, untargeted