English Vocabulary for learners
COLLOCATIONS and EXPRESSIONS with 'OUT'
from 'out and about' to 'out of this world'
Native English-speakers commonly use collocations which are combinations of two or more words that usually go together.
Here are some collocations and expressions with 'out'.
Here are some collocations and expressions with 'out'.
| OUT ... | Examples of use |
| Out and about regularly go out and be active |
“My mother was ill for a while but she's out and about again.” |
| Out of the blue Very unexpectedly |
“I had almost given up hope when out of the blue I was offered a job!” |
| Out of character Unlike someone’s usual behaviour |
“The way she panicked was out of character for her.” |
| Out of circulation Unavailable |
“I'm going to do a summer course so I'll be out of circulation for a while.“ |
| Out of your depth Be unable to understand or deal with something |
“The level was so high that I felt out of my depth.“ |
| Out of earshot Too far away to hear or be heard |
“They waited until Tess was out of earshot before discussing her surprise birthday party.” |
| Out of harm's way In a safe place where it won't be damaged |
“You'd better put that glass bowl out of harm's way.” |
| Out like a light Be so tired as to fall asleep very quickly |
“As soon as he went to bed he was out like a light.” |
| Out on a limb Do something risky or unsupported |
“Jack was out on a limb with his proposal - nobody supported his idea.” |
| Out to lunch Unaware of what's going on |
“He's hopeless as a leader - considered as 'out to lunch' by the group.” |
| Out of the picture Be eliminated in a contest or tournament |
"We were beaten in the semi-finals, so that's us out of the picture!” |
| Out of your own pocket Pay with your own money |
“Breakfast is included but you must pay for lunch out of your own pocket.” |
| Out of the question Impossible so not worth discussing |
“Buying a new car is out of the question - we simply can't afford it.” |
| Out of sight, out of mind Seen so unfrequently that you forget about them |
“Since I moved, my old friends seem to have forgotten me – out of sight, out of mind!” |
| Out of sorts Upset and irritable |
“The baby is out of sorts today. Perhaps he's cutting a tooth.” |
| Out of sync Not coordinated |
“The traffic lights are out of sync and causing a lot of confusion.” |
| Out of touch No longer communicate with someone |
“I've been out of touch with Caroline since we left college.” |
| Out of this world Extremely good or impressive |
“The hotel was very comfortable and the food was out of this world.” |