off-kilter

[ awf-kil-ter, of‐ ]

/ ˈɔfˈkɪl tər, ˈɒf‐ /

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adjective

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.

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Origin of off-kilter

First recorded in 1925–30; off + kilter

Words nearby off-kilter

offing, offish, off-island, off-islander, off-key, off-kilter, off-label, offlap, off-licence, off-license, off-limits

How to use off-kilter in a sentence

Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The off-year special election into which Duke threw himself drew little media notice at first.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Aaron Paul may play a young Han Solo in the first Star Wars spin-off.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
He can't talk much, though; 'tain't good fur him; his lungs is out er kilter.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Jean was to be an architect—God knows why—but Aristide settled it, definitely, off-hand.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
In favorable parts of the trail he must do better than that, to off-set losses of time where the going was most difficult.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
There was something about the man that Matt liked, in spite of the deceit he had practised at the start-off of their acquaintance.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews