desafinar

Senses

1. 1.

   to sing or play out of tune

   to produce musical notes that are off-pitch or not in harmony

2. 2.

   to be out of sync, to clash

   to not fit in or harmonize with surroundings (figurative)

Examples

• "Ele desafinou várias vezes durante a apresentação."

  He sang out of tune several times during the performance.

• "O violão estava desafinado e precisava ser afinado."

  The guitar was out of tune and needed to be tuned.

• "Aquele comentário desafinou completamente com o clima da festa."

  That comment clashed completely with the mood of the party.

Usage

Common in musical contexts and everyday conversation. The opposite is "afinar" (to tune, to be in tune). Often used with instruments in the past participle form "desafinado/a" (out of tune). The figurative use means to be inappropriate or not fit in with a situation.