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Glite Dictionary
from nowhere

from nowhere

28 4.1
Suddenly and without any warning
  • idiom
translation icon : de la nada
  • The cat jumped from nowhere and startled everyone in the room.
  • come from nowhere
  • appear from nowhere
  • seem to come from nowhere

Once I climbed what's known as the first dune of the Sahara, despite how many there must be, at the periphery, rose from nowhere.

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Examples

  • The last time he breezed in from nowhere, just as usual, we had a lively couple of days.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • So out to the blue from nowhere, you know, kids from Wales, kids from Newcastle, just setting up podcasts and speaking about me and getting thousands and thousands of views.

  • We were running, and I fell, and Jack went to help me up, and this thing came from nowhere.

    An American Werewolf in London (1981)

  • This knife just came from nowhere.

    Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

  • But what can you do when one of those lions comes from nowhere?

    Academic text (2009)

  • And at that moment an arrow comes flying from nowhere and hits him.

  • A new breaker came from nowhere, like an act of God, and it changed people's lives.

    Tulip Fever (2017)

  • So there is this guy who comes from nowhere, starts his business below a tree, becomes the wealthiest person and gets wiped out.

  • A sudden storm appeared from nowhere, leaving us drenched and confused.

  • During the meeting, a question from nowhere sparked a lively discussion among the participants.

Synonyms

suddenly
vsfrom nowhere
∞ 1.0

Quickly and without warning

is similar but highlights unexpected origin as well
all of a sudden
vsfrom nowhere
  • Informal
987 2.7

Very quickly and without warning

is the same speed but focuses more on suddenness than cause
just like that
vsfrom nowhere
  • Informal
183 4.2

Happens suddenly without warning or effort

is sudden too but focuses more on lack of effort than cause
out of nowhere
vsfrom nowhere
170 4.2

Happening suddenly without any warning

is sudden and unexpected and stresses lack of any clear cause
abruptly
vsfrom nowhere
145 3.3

In a sudden way that gives no warning

is sudden too but also implies no clear preceding reason
of a sudden
vsfrom nowhere
  • Informal
116 7.1

Happens quickly and without warning

is sudden as well but stresses lack of any apparent cause
out of the blue
vsfrom nowhere
  • Informal
95 3.4

Something happens suddenly and without warning

is sudden too but more about surprise than source
out of thin air
vsfrom nowhere
25 5.8

Suddenly with no clear reason, like magic

is sudden also but stresses simple unexpectedness without magical sense
all at once
vsfrom nowhere
13 3.0

Happening suddenly and without warning

is sudden but emphasises single event's unexpected origin
ex nihilo
vsfrom nowhere
  • Formal
9.9

In a way that comes from nothing with no earlier cause

is sudden but more formal and philosophical about origin

Antonyms

predictably
31 3.4

In a way people expect

expectedly
1 3.5

As most people thought would happen

How Sudden

in a flash
  • Informal
35 2.5
from nowhere
28 4.1
suddenly
∞ 1.0
unexpectedly
99 2.3

Surface Forms

from nowhere positive

Morphology

from + nowhere

The meaning 'suddenly and unexpectedly' is directly derivable from 'from' (indicating origin) + 'nowhere' (no place) — together implying appearing with no apparent origin. This simple compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard preposition + adverb logic, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

From nowhere paints a quick picture: something appears from an empty spot called nowhere, like a rabbit a magician pulls from an empty hat. That's why from nowhere means 'suddenly and unexpectedly'.