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

The abundance of peep toes and funky shapes on the runway can be partly credited to a new wave of challenger brands, raising the bar for fresh, off-kilter footwear. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Some of the efforts are obvious and the graphics look off-kilter. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

His dialogue in particular serves as a distinctive through line, with pages of repartee in an off-kilter, slightly formal register flowing through all of his novels. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Everything else emerged from that — even her more off-kilter tendencies. — Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for off-kilter

• filter
• kilter
• quilter