aʊt əv ðə bluː
Nature & Weather
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Coming from the blue sky
What does "out of the blue" mean?
- Unexpectedly; without warning
- Suddenly and surprisingly
Examples
- He called me out of the blue after years of silence.
- The announcement came out of the blue.
- Out of the blue, she decided to quit her job.
Origin
Like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky—completely unexpected. First recorded in the 19th century.
How to use it
Emphasizes surprise. Can be positive or negative depending on the news.
Similar expressions
unexpectedly
suddenly
without warning
out of nowhere
Opposites
as expected
predictably
as planned
Related idioms
- beat around the bush
To avoid talking about the main point of a conversation
- every cloud has a silver lining
There is something positive in every negative situation
- go with the flow
To accept things as they are and adapt accordingly
- once in a blue moon
Very rarely; almost never
- tip of the iceberg
A small visible part of a much larger hidden problem
- it's raining cats and dogs
It's raining very heavily
Use it in a practice answer
Try "out of the blue" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.