to throw off balance
4
5.4
- phrasal verb
- /θroʊ ɔf ˈbæləns/
:
desconcertar
- The sudden change in plans threw everyone off balance, making it hard to concentrate.
- thrown off balance and stumbles
- thrown off balance and falls
- throw people off balance
I think naturally, I think it if a man doesn't lead, then it throws off the balance of the home.
- I think naturally, I think it if a man doesn't lead, then it throws off the balance of the home.
- Like how often do you wash your towel, your bath towel or like just these weird things throwing people off balance, right.
Examples
-
Yes, that threw him off balance, and his target was far away.
-
You manage to throw me off balance.
Fiction book (2001) -
"Harry was thrown off balance by her sudden shift of mood.
Fiction book (1997) -
The motion threw him off balance, and he grabbed for the line.
Fiction book (2001) -
Then that Reston guy had thrown her all off balance.
Fiction book (2002) -
Each time he attempts it, his forward motion throws him off balance and he stumbles.
Fiction book (1996) -
The jet lurches forward, throwing Winters off balance.
Fiction book (1997) -
The moment throws Johnny off balance, and he falls in the mud again, this time on all fours.
Fiction book (2002) -
Peter gave a jubilant shout and clapped Ben on the shoulder so hard it threw him off balance.
Fiction book (1999) -
Vicki lunges forward suddenly, causing the whip to slacken and throwing Selina off balance into the center island.
Fiction book (1992)
Synonyms
410
5.3
To make someone lose confidence or feel upset
321
7.8
To make someone feel confused or unsure
202
2.1
To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress
107
4.4
To cause a sudden strong shock or upset to people
51
4.5
Cause a big sudden change that leaves people confused
41
4.2
To upset someone strongly and change how they feel
22
5.2
To make a person feel confused about where they are or what to do
15
4.0
To surprise someone so they are not ready to react
8
4.3
To surprise someone and make them react
7
8.6
To confuse someone so they do not know what to do or think
7
4.9
To make someone feel worried or uneasy
7
2.8
To make someone feel unsteady and as if the room is turning
4
7.0
To leave someone feeling overwhelmed or confused by too much information
3
5.5
To make someone nervous so they cannot think clearly
3
7.4
To cause someone to feel confused or overwhelmed by too much information
2
4.8
To make something unstable or uneven
1
7.7
To cause a sudden change that upsets the normal order of a system or situation
1
7.3
To make someone feel worried or uneasy
1
9.9
To make someone feel sudden shock and worry
Cause someone to feel confused and upset
To make something lose balance or become unsteady
To make someone lose their sense of direction or feel confused
Antonyms
How Unsettled
164
4.4
4
5.4
7
4.9
7
7.1
131
3.7
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from the literal image of being physically 'thrown off' one's 'balance'—i.e. made unstable—and follows a common verb+particle+noun compositional pattern. The figurative extension to feeling confused or unsettled is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common metaphor, so a B1 learner who knows 'throw', 'off' and 'balance' would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Throw off balance may come from the image of someone standing on a narrow beam and getting a sudden push: to throw someone off makes them lose their balance and become unsteady. That's why the phrase means 'to make someone feel confused or unsettled' after an unexpected event.