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[out of shape] or [out of condition] <adj. phr.> 1. Not in good condition; not able to perform well. * /Father was out of shape when he took a long hike with the boys, and he was stiff and sore the next day./ * /Jack's pitching arm got out of condition during the winter, when he wasn't using it./ Compare: OUT OF PRACTICE. 2. Not look the same; changed. * /Someone sat on father's new hat and mashed it. It is now out of shape./ Contrast: IN SHAPE.

[out of sight] <adv. phr.> 1. Not within one's field of vision. * /The sailboat disappeared out of sight over the horizon./ 2. Extremely expensive. * /The builder's estimate was so high that it was out of sight./ 3. Unbelievable; fantastic; incredible (both in the positive and the negative sense; an exaggeration.) * /Roxanne is such a stunning beauty, it's simply out of sight./ * /Mr. Gargoyle is so repulsive, it's out of sight./ 4. Unreachable; unrealizable; belonging to the world of fiction and fantasy. * /Max's dreams about winning the Senatorial election are really out of sight; he admits it himself./ Compare: PIPE DREAM.

[out of sight, out of mind] If one doesn't see something for an extended period of time, one tends to forget about it.
– A proverb. * /After Caroline moved out of town, Ray soon found other women to date. As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind."/

[out of sorts] <adj. phr.> In an angry or unhappy mood; in a bad temper; grouchy. * /Mary was out of sorts and wouldn't say good morning./ * /Bob was out of sorts because he didn't get a bicycle for his birthday./

[out of step] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Not in step; not matching strides or keeping pace with another or others. * /George always marches out of step with the music./ 2. Out of harmony; not keeping up.
– Often followed by "with". * /Just because you don't smoke, it doesn't mean you are out of step with other boys and girls your age./ Contrast: IN STEP.

[out of stock] <adj. phr.> Having none for sale or use; no longer in supply; sold out. * /When Father tried to get tires for an old car, the man in the store said that size was out of stock and were not sold anymore./ * /So many children have bought balloons that the store is now out of stock./ Compare: OUT OF PRINT. Contrast: IN STOCK.

[out of the blue] or [out of a clear sky] or [out of a clear blue sky] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Without any warning; by surprise; unexpectedly. * /At the last minute Johnny came out of the blue to catch the pass and score a touchdown./ * /The cowboy thought he was alone but suddenly out of a clear sky there were bandits all around him./ Syn.: OUT OF NOWHERE. Compare: BOLT FROM THE BLUE.

[out of the corner of one's eye] <adv. phr.> Without looking at a person or thing directly or openly; secretly; without being noticed. * /The cat looked at the mouse out of the corner of his eye./ * /Mike watched the boys across the street out of the corner of his eye as he mowed the lawn./

[out of the frying pan into the fire] Out of one trouble into worse trouble; from something bad to something worse.
– A proverb. * /The movie cowboy was out of the frying pan into the fire. After he escaped from the robbers, he was captured by Indians./

[out of the hole] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1a. With a score better than zero in a game; especially a card game, to a score above zero. * /It took us a long time to get out of the hole in the card game./ 1b. Even with an opponent after being behind; out of trouble in a sport or game. * /The team played very hard, but could not get out of the hole./ 2. Out of debt; ahead financially. * /It was a small business, but it was wisely managed, and it kept out of the hole./ * /The first year was bad, but after that Fred got out of the hole./ Contrast: IN THE HOLE.

[out of the ordinary] <adj. phr.> Outside or beyond common experience; unusual; wonderful; extraordinary. * /The parade will be something out of the ordinary because a real king will be there./ * /This juggler was out of the ordinary because he could juggle with his feet as well as his hands./

[out of the picture] <adv. phr.> No longer a possibility or in the running; rejected. * /Mark assured Carol that his ex-wife was completely out of the picture./

[out of the question] <adj. phr.> Not worth considering; unthinkable; impossible. * /It sometimes snows as late as June in the mountains, but the summer campers thought that snow was out of the question./ * /The boys had no money, so it was out of the question for them to go to the movies./

[out of the rain] See: KNOW ENOUGH TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN.

[out of the red] <adv. phr.> Having reached solvency; no longer in debt. * /Under the new management, our company finally got out of the red./ Contrast: IN THE HOLE, IN THE RED. Compare: IN THE BLACK.

[out of the running] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Having no chance to win; not among the real contenders; not among those to be considered. * /John had been out of the running since his first date with Mary, but he didn't realize it./ * /Jones's horse was put out of the running early in the race./ Contrast: IN THE RUNNING.

[out of the swim] <adj. phr.> Not doing what others are doing; not active in business or social affairs. * /Mary had to stay home and take care of Mother while she was sick, and soon felt out of the swim./ * /The toy manufacturer who is out of the swim will lose money./ Contrast: IN THE SWIM.

[out of the way] <adv. phr.> 1. Not where people usually go; difficult to reach. * /When little Tommy comes to visit her, Aunt Sally puts her lamps and vases out of the way./ - Often used with hyphens before a noun. * /Gold was found in an out-of-the-way village in the mountains, and soon a good road and airfield were built./ * /Jack and Fred found an old gun in an out-of-the-way corner of the empty house./ Compare: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK. 2. Not what is usual or proper; strange. * /To leave before the guest of honor would be out of the way./ * /I'm sorry if I said something out of the way./ * /The night watchman looked around the building, but he saw nothing out of the way./ Compare: OUT OF PLACE. 3. or [out of one's way] Not able to stop or bother you. * /Tommy wished the visitors were out of the way so that he could have the candy for himself./ Compare: OUT OF ONE'S HAIR, PUT OUT OF THE WAY.

[out of the woods] See: CROW BEFORE ONE IS OUT OF THE WOODS.

[out of thin air] <adv. phr.> Out of nothing or from nowhere. * /The teacher scolded Dick because his story was made out of thin air./ * /On the way home from town, Tom saw a house standing on the lot that had been empty that morning; it seemed to have appeared out of thin air./ Compare: INTO THIN AIR.

[out of this world] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Wonderfully good or satisfying; terrific; super. * /The dress in the store window was out of this world!/ * /Mother was on TV last night. Isn't that out of this world?/

[out of touch] <adj. phr.> Not writing or talking with each other; not getting news anymore. * /Fred had got out of touch with people in his hometown./ * /On his island Robinson Crusoe was out of touch with world news./ Compare: LOSE TOUCH, LOSE TRACK. Contrast: IN TOUCH.

[out of town] <adv. phr.> Having left one's usual residence or place of work on a longer trip. * /"Mr. Smith is out of town until Monday," the secretary said. "May I take a message?"/

[out of tune] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Out of proper musical pitch; too low or high in sound. * /The band sounded terrible, because the instruments were out of tune./ 2. Not in agreement; in disagreement; not going well together.
– Often used with "with". * /What Jack said was out of tune with how he looked; he said he was happy, but he looked unhappy./ Compare: OFF-KEY. Contrast: IN TUNE.

[out of turn] <adv. phr.> 1. Not in regular order; at the wrong time. * /John played out of turn./ * /By taking a day off out of turn, Bob got the schedule mixed up./ 2. Too hastily or wrongly; at the wrong time or place; so as to annoy others. * /Dick loses friends by speaking out of turn./

[out of wedlock] See: BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK.

[out of whack] <adj. phr.>, <slang >1. Needing repair; not working right. * /Ben was glad the lawn mower got out of whack, because he didn't have to mow the lawn./ Syn.: OUT OF ORDER. 2. Not going together well; not in agreement. * /The things Mr. Black does are out of whack with what he says./ * /George's earnings and his spending were out of whack./ Compare: OUT OF LINE.