kilter

American  

[kil-ter] / ˈkɪl tər /

noun

1. good condition; order.

   The engine was out of kilter.

2. Poker. skeet.

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kilter British  

/ ˈkɪltə /

noun

1. working order or alignment (esp in the phrases off kilter, out of kilter )

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kilter Idioms  

1. see out of kilter.

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Etymology

Origin of kilter

First recorded in 1630–40; variant of dial. kelter < ?

Explanation

The noun kilter means "balance," or "a state of working well," but you'll only find it in the phrase "out of kilter," meaning "not working right." When things are off balance or out of whack, they're out of kilter, or off-kilter. If your bike keeps pulling to one side, or your toaster is only toasting one side of the bread you insert, they're both out of kilter. If you're studying hard and forgetting to eat well and exercise, you might also feel out of kilter. The word comes from the now-obsolete kelter, although the origin of this word is unknown.

Example Sentences

It also threw finely tuned global supply chains out of kilter and created shortages of vital parts.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

For a hurricane to grow in strength, it must also be free of cross-cutting winds, known as wind shear, which can tear holes in the walls of the storm’s eye or throw it off kilter.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 26, 2023

Many of them became homeless after an event that kicked a fragile financial situation off kilter.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2023

The fact Burrow was off kilter last week wasn’t entirely surprising.

From Washington Times • Sep. 14, 2023

This is mostly because everything’s out of kilter here.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank