kilter
kilter — noun
1. a state in which a machine, system, or process is not working the way it normall
a state in which a machine, system, or process is not working the way it normally should, often because something has changed or broken.
The air conditioner has been out of kilter ever since the storm last week.
out of kilter (machine not working properly)
Amira called a repair person because her refrigerator was completely out of kilter.
When the factory assembly line went out of kilter, the manager stopped production immediately.
The old washing machine is so out of kilter that it floods the floor.
A single loose screw can throw the entire printing press out of kilter.
- broken
more general and common; 'kilter' specifically suggests something has shifted out of its normal state
- malfunctioning
more technical; 'out of kilter' is less formal and more idiomatic
文法句型
out of / off + kilter
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrases 'out of kilter' or 'off kilter'. The verb 'throw' is a common collocation with 'out of kilter' to describe causing the malfunction.
常見錯誤
2. a state in which different parts of a situation, arrangement, or set of things a
a state in which different parts of a situation, arrangement, or set of things are not in the correct proportion or alignment with each other, causing imbalance or disharmony.
Indra felt that her work and home life were out of kilter after the promotion.
out of kilter (imbalance between two things)
The numbers in the quarterly report are out of kilter with the actual sales figures.
out of kilter with [something] (not matching)
Selim's sleep schedule was completely off kilter after flying across three time zones.
The garden looked odd because the left-side trees were off kilter from the right.
Eri noticed that one shelf was slightly off kilter, making the whole bookcase appear crooked.
- misaligned
more formal; 'out of kilter' is more idiomatic
- imbalanced
focuses on uneven distribution; 'kilter' implies a mismatch
- off
informal and shorter; 'off kilter' is more vivid
- in balance
properly aligned or proportioned
- aligned
correctly arranged
文法句型
out of / off + kilter
out of kilter with + noun phrase
用法筆記
Both 'out of kilter' and 'off kilter' are used interchangeably for this more abstract sense. 'Off kilter' is slightly more common when describing visual/temporal misalignment rather than mechanical failure.