off-kilter
Americanadjective
-
not exactly straight or balanced; askew; uneven.
off-kilter paintings on every wall.
-
not completely well; somewhat ill.
still off-kilter two weeks after the flu.
-
unusual or eccentric; unconventional.
short stories with off-kilter endings.
Etymology
Origin of off-kilter
First recorded in 1925–30; off ( def. ) + kilter ( def. )
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.
It included absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks pretty real, junky AI-written books, “workslop” reports that waste coworkers’ time — and lots of talking cats.
From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026
Unlike most modern pop albums, it's the work of just three people, with Rae and her collaborators Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser establishing a stylish, spacey and occasionally off-kilter sonic palette all of their own.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
The longstanding relationship between stocks and bonds has been off-kilter ever since.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025
Kramer walks that entire distance backward to keep her eyes peeled for an off-kilter balloon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
It made Thomas feel off-kilter, as if the urge to sleep that grew steadily with every passing minute were somehow unnatural.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
