catawampus

[kat-uh-wom-puhs] / ˌkæt əˈwɒm pəs /

ADJECTIVE

askew

Synonyms

STRONGEST

awry off-center

WEAK

askance askant aslant bent buckled cockeyed crookedly curved knotted lopsided oblique obliquely slanted slanting to one side topsy-turvey turned twisted yaw ways zigzag

ADJECTIVE

crooked

Synonyms

STRONGEST

curved curving devious errant gnarled meandering serpentine sinuous twisted twisting winding

STRONG

bowed contorted deformed deviating disfigured distorted hooked rambling skewed slanted spiral tilted warped zigzag

WEAK

agee anfractuous angular asymmetric awry circuitous cockeyed incurving indirect irregular kinky knurly lopsided misshapen not straight oblique out of shape roundabout screwy snaky topsy-turvy tortile tortuous uneven

Antonyms

STRONGEST

straight unbent untwisted

WEAK

good honest law-abiding lawful moral

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We’re trying to find the balance again because it’s felt catawampus for a minute.

From Los Angeles Times

One set of shutters was missing and the other hung lopsided, like the whole house had been smacked catawampus.

From Literature

Zeus brings me to the beach shortly after passing a catawampus gazebo with several collapsed pilings.

From Washington Post

“We kind of got a little bit catawampus here.”

From Washington Post

Larger tables in the trapezoidal dining room are close and kind of catawampus.

From Seattle Times