Synonyms

out of sorts

Idioms

Irritable, grouchy, as in Don't ask him today—he's out of sorts. This expression also implies that one's poor spirits result from feeling slightly ill. [Early 1600s] The synonym out of humor, on the other hand, used more in Britain than America, simply means “ill-tempered” or “irritable.” [Mid-1600s]

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.

But Shiffrin has been out of sorts and now heads into the slalom at real risk of leaving northern Italy with a repeat of her Beijing Olympics disaster four years ago.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

USC opened the game one for seven from the field, with its offense looking out of sorts, and scored a meager 10 points in the first 10 minutes.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

The Buffalo Bills sit at 6-3 after looking out of sorts in a blowout loss to the lowly Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

Robertson looked off the pace; John McGinn was out of sorts; McTominay, despite his goal, looked a pale imitation of last season when tearing it up in Italy.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

If I’d been out of sorts before this, I was worse now.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023