off-kilter

[ awf-kil-ter, of‐ ]

adjective

1. not exactly straight or balanced; askew; uneven:

   off-kilter paintings on every wall.

2. not completely well; somewhat ill:

   still off-kilter two weeks after the flu.

3. unusual or eccentric; unconventional:

   short stories with off-kilter endings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-kilter¹

First recorded in 1925–30; off ( def ) + kilter ( def )

Example Sentences

Does it give you any anxiety to be so convincing at playing a character so off-kilter?

From The Daily Beast

After all, just about any off-kilter statement can be taken seriously if it comes from a member of Congress.

From The Daily Beast

Still shackled, with his trousers in shreds and radiating off-kilter aggression, Phoenix immediately begins wilding out.

From The Daily Beast

One nice, anti-surreal detail from Sala: Thanks to skewed gears in its innards, his off-kilter clock tells perfect time.

From The Daily Beast

It's meant to feel rough and off-kilter, because he's starting over, abandoning form.

From The Daily Beast