out of whack
1
used to describe a person who is feeling mentally disturbed or unbalanced
The origin of the idiom "out of whack" comes from the early 20th century. It refers to something being out of whack or alignment. The word "whack" in this context comes from the Scottish word "whack" meaning "blow" or "hit". This idiom indicates a person's psychology appears disturbed or unbalanced. Common signs may include feeling overly anxious, depressed, angry, or irrational. Their emotions could be difficult to control or thinking may seem nonsensical compared to the situation.
- Ever since the breakup, Sarah has seemed a little out of whack - crying one moment and laughing the next.
- After not sleeping for days, John was definitely out of whack and not thinking straight.
- All the fighting at home has really gotten Bill's mood out of whack and on edge.
- Losing his job was tough on Mike and he acknowledges feeling out of whack for a few months after.
2
not corresponding to or agreeing with something else
The origin of the idiom "out of whack" is not definitively known, but it likely emerged from the idea of a mechanical device being misaligned or malfunctioning. The phrase is used to describe a state of disorder, imbalance, or dysfunction, wherein something is not functioning or operating as it should.
- After the power outage, the timing of all the clocks in the house was out of whack, causing confusion.
- His sleep schedule was completely out of whack due to the jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones.
- The engine of the old car was running out of whack, making strange noises and causing a decrease in performance.
- The budget calculations were out of whack, resulting in financial discrepancies that needed to be resolved.
- The team's chemistry on the field was out of whack, leading to a series of miscommunications and errors.