kilter
Americannoun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing kilter
Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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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.
For some, the Treasury Department’s response only added to the sense of a typically staid market gone disturbingly off kilter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In that context, it's the Spa result that should be seen as out of kilter, not Hungary.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 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
She has a prominent nose that seems just right and slightly off kilter at the same time.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
