off-kilter

American  

[awf-kil-ter, of‐] / ˈɔfˈkɪl tər, ˈɒf‐ /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of off-kilter

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

Example Sentences

The clean installation helps the viewer to “get” Samaras—his off-kilter intensity and odd self-effacement, in spite of all the focus on his own likeness.

From The Wall Street Journal

And the table was exactly centered in the room, as if it had never been knocked off-kilter by struggling men.

From Literature

Yet Keaton’s off-kilter taste—reflected elsewhere in her rambling dialogue delivery and outré fashion sense—is in evidence in her attraction to the strange personalities asked to ruminate on the hereafter.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Dadaist piece is every bit as off-kilter and fascinating as the Talking Heads song that inspired its title.

From Los Angeles Times

In his novels and short-story collections, Saunders often begins with the mysterious or unrecognizable, then builds out his readers’ understanding of a slightly off-kilter world.

From The Wall Street Journal