How do you use "Out of sorts" in a sentence?

I'm feeling a bit out of sorts today. She's been out of sorts since the argument. The baby's out of sorts—probably teething.

Out of sorts

Q: What does "Out of sorts" mean?

Feeling unwell or in a bad mood A gentle way to describe feeling not quite right—whether physically under the weather, emotionally off, or just generally irritable. It's vaguer and milder than specific complaints, often used when you can't quite identify what's wrong.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

Meaning: Feeling unwell or in a bad mood

身体不舒服或心情不好

Sentirse mal o de mal humor

体調が悪い、または機嫌が悪い

몸이 좋지 않거나 기분이 안 좋은

A gentle way to describe feeling not quite right—whether physically under the weather, emotionally off, or just generally irritable. It's vaguer and milder than specific complaints, often used when you can't quite identify what's wrong.

温和地描述感觉不太对劲——无论是身体不适、情绪低落，还是只是一般性的烦躁。比具体的抱怨更模糊、更温和，通常在说不清楚哪里不对的时候使用。

Una forma suave de describir que no te encuentras del todo bien, ya sea físicamente indispuesto, emocionalmente decaído o simplemente irritable. Es más vago y suave que quejas específicas, se usa a menudo cuando no puedes identificar exactamente qué te pasa.

何かしっくりこない感じを穏やかに表す言い方。体調が悪い、気分が優れない、または何となくイライラするなど。具体的な訴えよりも曖昧で穏やかで、何が悪いのかはっきりしないときに使われることが多い。

몸이 좀 안 좋거나, 감정적으로 어딘가 불편하거나, 전반적으로 짜증이 나는 상태를 부드럽게 표현하는 말입니다. 구체적인 불만보다 모호하고 가벼운 표현으로, 정확히 뭐가 문제인지 모를 때 자주 쓰입니다.

Examples

I'm feeling a bit out of sorts today.
我今天感觉有点不对劲
hoy me encuentro un poco pachuchillo
今日はちょっと調子が悪い
오늘은 좀 컨디션이 안 좋아.
She's been out of sorts since the argument.
自从那次争吵后她一直不太对劲
ha estado de bajón desde la discusión
口論してからずっと機嫌が悪い
그녀는 말다툼 이후로 계속 기분이 안 좋다.
The baby's out of sorts—probably teething.
宝宝不太舒服，可能在长牙
el bebé está irritable, probablemente le están saliendo los dientes
赤ちゃんの機嫌が悪い。たぶん歯が生えてきているんだろう
아기가 보채네—아마 이가 나고 있나 봐.

Pronunciation

/aʊt əv sɔːts/

Usage Guide

Context: malaise, mood, mild illness

Tone: gentle, understated

✓ Do Say

A bit out of sorts
有点不对劲
un poco pachuchillo
ちょっと調子が悪い
좀 컨디션이 안 좋아
Feeling out of sorts
感觉不太舒服
encontrarse regular
何となく調子が悪い
몸이 좀 찝찝해

✗ Don't Say

Mild expression—not for serious illness
温和的表达，不用于严重的疾病
Expresión suave, no para enfermedades graves
穏やかな表現なので、深刻な病気には使わない
가벼운 표현—심각한 질병에는 사용하지 않음

Common Mistakes

Using for serious conditions

Origin & History

Originally a printing term from the 17th century—'sorts' were the individual letters used in typesetting, and being 'out of sorts' meant running low on certain letters, causing disruption. Extended to mean personally disrupted or disordered.

Etymology: From printing terminology for lacking letter types

First recorded: 17th century printing term, emotional sense 18th century

Cultural Context

Era: 17th century onwards

Generation: All ages, slightly formal

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common British understatement; Medical conversations

Regional notes: Universal but especially British in its understated tone.

Variations

Out of sortsA bit out of sortsFeeling out of sorts