out of joint
Idioms-
Dislocated, as in Trying to break his fall, he put his shoulder out of joint . [Late 1300s]
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See nose out of joint .
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Out of order, inauspicious or unsatisfactory, as in The entire lineup of our team is out of joint . Shakespeare had this term in Hamlet (1:5): “The time is out of joint.” [Early 1400s]
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.
To the extent they acknowledged a world out of joint, it was in generalized calls for love and cooperation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
ANSWER: We do vital research that shows the potential harms of online platforms, and we know that that puts the noses out of joint for some very powerful people.
From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026
It isn't just among the fly-halves that England have people out of position and noses out of joint.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
In short: The whole framework of this trip has slipped wildly out of joint since it was planned two months ago.
From Slate • Jul. 23, 2024
Dad's nose looked very, very out of joint.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
