out of sorts

Idioms  

1. 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

See Examples For:

out of sorts

So was I a little out of sorts?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

However, the pair were unable to deliver in front of their home crowd with Van Veen out of sorts against a much-improved Humphries as the Englishman claimed a comfortable 6-2 win.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

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

They made her sleepy and out of sorts.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai