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.
Bourgeois-Tacquet’s elevator pitch — unforeseen circumstances lead Gabrielle, a workaholic 55-year-old surgeon, to question her life choices — isn’t exactly earth-shaking, and the film lacks the propulsive spontaneity that made Anaïs in Love such an off-kilter delight. Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 Ella Frances Sanders Explores Words About Weather I’ve always found the idea of accurately trying to predict incoming weather using technology slightly strange, somehow off-kilter. Literary Hub, 11 May 2026 Two innings illustrated Freeland's off-kilter day. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 May 2026 Knats front-end their version with the words from a 1972 BBC documentary about Durham miners set to off-kilter melody, before balladic piano chords enter, and Cooper speaks a refrain based on the folk song. Archie Forde, Pitchfork, 1 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Off-kilter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-kilter. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

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