Use to express that something is significantly disrupted, often with a sense of dismay or frustration. Since she left, my routine is all out of joint.
Pro Tip 2/3
Figurative Use
Understand it's not always literal—it can describe feelings about life’s disruptions. After the earthquake, the whole community felt out of joint.
Pro Tip 3/3
Metaphorical Disarray
It's a metaphor that likens life's unpredictability to misaligned objects or disturbed settings. With all the canceled flights, the travelers’ plans were out of joint.