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

• bizarre
• bizarro
• cranky
• crazy
• curious
• eccentric
• erratic
• far-out
• funky
• funny
• kinky
• kooky
• kookie
• odd
• off-the-wall
• offbeat
• out-of-the-way
• outlandish
• outré
• peculiar
• quaint
• queer
• queerish
• quirky
• remarkable
• rum [chiefly British]
• screwy
• spaced-out
• strange
• wacky
• whacky
• way-out
• weird
• weirdo
• wild

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

Through a charmingly off-kilter blend of 2D aesthetics, the film follows a protagonist who, after catching a highly contagious virus, must abandon her work as a personal assistant to a demanding boss and her duties at home with a useless husband and two needy kids. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 June 2025

Primus specialize in bass-heavy, off-kilter rock with a goofy sense of humor. —Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 2 June 2025

Both artists are masters of the avant-garde, Black futurists, and off-kilter divas. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 May 2025

With Friendship being a more of an off-kilter comedy, what would the blooper reel look like? —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for off-kilter

• filter
• kilter
• quilter