out of gear
Definition
- Adjective Phrase:
- Not having gears engaged; not in gear: Describes a mechanical state where the gears of a machine or vehicle are disconnected, preventing the transmission of power from the engine to the wheels or other moving parts.
- Not functioning properly; disorganized or inoperative: Used figuratively to describe a situation, system, or person that is not working correctly, is chaotic, or has lost synchronization.
Usage Examples
Literal (Mechanical):
- Before starting the engine, make sure the car is out of gear and the parking brake is on.
- The mechanic left the transmission out of gear while inspecting the clutch.
Figurative (Non-functioning):
- After the holiday, the whole office felt out of gear and it took days to get back to normal productivity.
- His sleep schedule is completely out of gear since he started working night shifts.
Advanced Usage
- "to throw/knock something out of gear": To cause a mechanism to disengage, or figuratively, to disrupt the normal functioning of something.
- The sudden power surge threw the machinery out of gear.
- The unexpected news knocked his carefully laid plans out of gear.
Variants and Related Words
- Out of sync/Out of synchronisation: Not operating in unison; not coordinated. (Figurative synonym)
- Disengaged: Detached or disconnected, especially mechanically.
- In neutral: Specifically for vehicles, meaning the gear lever is in the neutral position, which is a state of being 'out of gear'.
Synonyms
- Disengaged
- Inoperative (for the figurative sense)
- Disorganized, Chaotic (for the figurative sense)
Related Phrases
- Out of order: Not working; broken.
- Out of whack: Not functioning correctly; out of order. (Informal)
Related Idioms
- To slip out of gear: To accidentally become disengaged or, figuratively, to stop functioning smoothly.
- The old tractor's lever sometimes slips out of gear.
- My concentration slipped out of gear during the long meeting.
Adjective
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not having gears engaged
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threw the machine's pinion out of gear
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