off-kilter

adjective

off-kil·​ter ˈȯf-ˈkil-tər How to pronounce off-kilter (audio)
Synonyms of off-kilternext
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the control room programmed the flight deck to re-create full turbulence, the steady waves suddenly turned chaotic, off-kilter, completely unpredictable. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Her scenes this season were mostly involving very detuned and off-kilter piano. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2026 Violet and poppy red have emerged as one of spring’s most compelling color pairings—an off-kilter combination Prada has long championed. Christina Holevas, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026 Abbington plays Eve, a sharp-witted, slightly off-kilter actress whose obsession with the case pulls her into the investigative orbit and complicates the group dynamic. Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-kilter

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-kilter was in 1929

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-kilter. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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