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    out of the blue
  2. OUT OF THE BLUE definition: 1. If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected: 2. If something happens out…. Learn more.

    • What Does "Out of the Blue" Mean? When we say something comes "out of the blue," we mean it happens totally unexpectedly. It's like a bird suddenly swooping down while you're enjoying a peaceful walk in the park.
    • Where Does "Out of the Blue" Come From? The idiom likely derives from the longer phrase "a bolt out of the blue," which refers to a sudden and unexpected event.
    • 10 Examples of "Out of the Blue" in Sentences. To help you understand how and when to use this idiom, here are some examples from various contexts: While I was surfing the net, an out-of-the-blue message from an old friend popped up on my screen.
    • Examples of "Out of the Blue" in Pop Culture. The phrase "out of the blue" is also widely used in pop culture, often in scenarios depicting unexpected events or surprises.
    • What Is The Meaning of Out of The Blue?
    • Out of The Blue Sentence Examples
    • Out of The Blue Origins
    • Let’s Review

    Out of the blue is an idiom that means something has happened suddenly or without warning. Something considered out of the blueis a complete surprise and can be used both negatively and positively.

    She stood in shock at the open door while watching the car drive away, utterly shocked at how abrupt and out of the bluehis departure had been.
    He glanced at the screen before turning back to the detectives exclaiming, “As I said before, the apology letter I received came out of the blue, and I truly have no connection to the person who se...
    He was convinced the university had rejected his application, so it felt like his acceptance had arrived out of the bluewhen his mother handed it to him one day after school.

    The expression’s original form, a bolt out of the blue, was likely in use before its first documented publication in 1837. It was initially used in reference to the unlikelihood of a bolt of lightning coming from a clear, blue sky. In this sense, the meaning was to be taken as rare or nearly impossible. Through use, it quickly took on a deeper mean...

    The expression out of the blue is an abbreviation of the older, longer idiom a bolt out of the blue, referring to the unlikelihood of lightning striking from a clear sky. Today, the phrase is used to express sudden surprise or to explain that something has occurred without warning. Despite its rise in popularity over the last 200 years, the term is...

    • English Teacher
  3. 1. From an unexpected or unforeseen source: criticism that came out of the blue. 2. At a completely unexpected time: a long-unseen friend who appeared out of the blue. See also: blue, of, out. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

  4. When something happens out of the blue, it is a complete surprise. If you get a phone call out of the blue from an old friend, it's utterly unexpected. Use the phrase out of the blue when you need a casual way to describe something that surprises you and possibly seems to come from nowhere.

  5. Aug 19, 2024 · The phrase out of the blue means something happens unexpectedly or without any warning. It suggests that an event or action comes as a surprise, much like something falling suddenly from a clear, blue sky.

  6. phrase. If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly. One of them wrote to us out of the blue several years later. See full dictionary entry for blue. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. out of the blue in British English. apparently from nowhere; unexpectedly.