out of whack
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: - Out of balance or out of adjustment: Not functioning correctly or properly; not in the proper or expected condition or state.
Usage
This adjective phrase is informal and is typically used as a predicate adjective, following a linking verb like "is," "was," or "seems." It describes a state of malfunction, disorder, or incorrect alignment.
Examples
- The old clock is out of whack and chimes at random times.
- After the storm, the satellite dish was out of whack, so we had no signal.
- My sleep schedule has been completely out of whack since I started working night shifts.
- If the chemical levels in the pool are out of whack, the water can become cloudy.
Advanced Usage
- "to throw something out of whack": To cause something to become disordered, unbalanced, or dysfunctional.
- The sudden power surge threw the entire computer network out of whack.
Variants and Related Words
- Whacky (adj): An informal variant spelling of "wacky," meaning eccentric or irrational. While related in sound and informal register, "whacky" and "out of whack" have distinct meanings.
Synonyms
- Malfunctioning: Failing to function normally.
- Out of order: Not working; broken.
- Out of kilter: Out of harmony or balance.
- Disrupted: Having the normal course or progress interrupted.
Related Phrases
- Out of sync: Not operating in unison or harmony; unsynchronized.
- The audio and video were out of sync during the stream.
- Out of alignment: Not in correct relative position.
- The car pulls to the right because the wheels are out of alignment.
Related Idioms
- Off-kilter: Not quite right; askew or unbalanced.
- Something about his story felt a bit off-kilter.
Adjective
- out of balance or out of adjustment
- the front wheel of my bicycle is out of whack