off-kilter

adjective

off-kil·​ter ˈȯf-ˈkil-tər 

1

: not in perfect balance : a bit askew

off-kilter camera angles

His hat was slightly off-kilter.

2

: eccentric, unconventional

off-kilter characters

an off-kilter approach

Synonyms of off-kilter

• bizarre
• strange
• weird
• funny
• odd
• erratic
• peculiar
• curious
• eccentric
• remarkable
• crazy
• unusual

Examples of off-kilter in a Sentence

he's nice enough, but there's something a little off-kilter about him

to me, the painting on the wall looks a little off-kilter

Recent Examples on the Web

Redmayne brings a sweetly doltish everyman energy to this increasingly off-kilter affair, with much of the dialogue between him and his co-stars (including Stratton-Twine as the missing woman’s slacker brother) improvised in disarmingly shaggy fashion. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026

Later in the quarter, with the Lakers trailing 109-107, Rui Hachimura collected an off-kilter pass from Doncic with one hand. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026

Everything about that show was surreal and off-kilter. —Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026

Classic shapes like a neat overcoat, or prim skirt arrived in off-kilter colors and patterns. —Christina Holevas, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for off-kilter

• filter
• kilter
• quilter