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

Equally at ease with bracing, dramatic emotions and an eccentrically off-kilter sense of humor, Victor explores the stutter steps of small victories and minor setbacks that eventually lead to growth, perhaps never quite leaving a painful moment fully behind but moving forward all the same. —Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

While the council is used to being feared, Yumeko, who has secret reasons for attending the school, eagerly steps into their crosshairs, and her presence throws the entire ecosystem of St. Dominic’s off-kilter. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 May 2025

With its fast-changing time signatures and off-kilter melodies, this song is treacherous ground for any singer. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025

There’s always something uncanny in there that’s a little off-kilter. —Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for off-kilter

• filter
• kilter
• quilter