ʌp ɪn ði eər
General
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Floating in the air, not grounded
What does "up in the air" mean?
- Uncertain or undecided
- Not yet determined or settled
Examples
- Our travel plans are still up in the air.
- The project's future is up in the air.
- Everything is up in the air until the vote.
Origin
From something thrown in the air—its landing spot is uncertain until it comes down.
How to use it
Very common for describing uncertainty. Neutral tone—not necessarily negative.
Similar expressions
uncertain
undecided
pending
unresolved
in limbo
Opposites
decided
settled
certain
finalized
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "up in the air" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.