out of kilter

Idioms  

1. Also, out of whack. Not properly adjusted, not working well, out of order. For example, This whole schedule is out of kilter with the rest of our projects, or The wheels on the trailer are out of whack. The first term, also spelled kelter, dates from the early 1600s and its origin is not known. The precise allusion of the variant, a colloquial term dating from the late 1800s, is also unclear. Possibly it relates to a whack, or blow, throwing something off, or some suggest, to wacky, that is, “crazy.”

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Example Sentences

"As I was watching, something felt out of kilter," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2024

"And the cost of renting is completely out of kilter with what you earn. So living like this is an alternative. It's less comfortable, but it allows me to keep living on the island."

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024

A plant with an out of kilter circadian clock will only grow to half the size of a normal plant under laboratory conditions.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2023

Does that not point out that planning by the Pentagon could be out of kilter with reality for future conflicts?

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

In the second quarter, he lined up and saw the Cooper secondary once again out of kilter.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• busted
• defective
• faulty
• ruined
• wrecked