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off the charts

off the charts

31 6.2
Much higher than normal in amount or level
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : por las nubes
  • The increase in sales this quarter is off the charts, surpassing all previous records for the company.

So I mean, some of these people are off the charts geniuses.

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Examples

  • I live in the northeast, and the cost of living is off the charts.

    Blog text (16)
  • The guy has a baseball IQ that is off the charts and excellent people skills.

    Blog text (33)
  • Great school, sports off the charts, kids going to college left and right.

  • And that guy is off the charts smart.

  • My level was off the charts.

  • This guy's off the charts.

  • Genius leadership team, off the charts management team across the board.

  • Wow factor off the charts.

  • But his state test scores are off the charts, especially in writing.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • "Black Friday sales were off the charts this year," a TDS employee said.

    Blog text (9)

Synonyms

extreme
vsoff the charts
877 3.6

Very far away in place or in degree

is broader and can apply to many strong qualities, not only height
extraordinary
vsoff the charts
  • Formal
859 3.8

Very unusual or much greater than usual

stresses unusualness or remarkability rather than solely extreme amount
sky-high
vsoff the charts
14 4.5

Very high in amount, for example prices or bills

expresses general extreme size rather than being a technical label
off the scale
vsoff the charts
8 6.8

Much higher than normal

is a common informal phrase for much higher than normal limits
ultrahigh
vsoff the charts
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Very high in level and common in technical fields

applies the same excess but with specialized, technical usage
in the stratosphere
vsoff the charts
1 7.9

Much higher than normal or expected

focuses on figurative loftiness rather than strict numeric excess
superhigh
vsoff the charts
1 4.9

Much higher than normal in amount or level

is a plain descriptor without figurative or technical nuance

Antonyms

low
1.0

Not enough in amount or level

1.0

Ordinary and not very good

How High

off the charts
  • Informal
31 6.2
extreme
877 3.6
high
13 1.0
average
1.0
low
1.0

Surface Forms

off the charts positive

Morphology

off + the + chart

The phrase literally combines 'off' (beyond/outside) with 'chart(s)' (a ranking or measure), so a learner who knows both words can often infer the sense 'beyond the measurable range / extremely high'. However, it functions as a conventionalized idiom and requires mapping 'chart' to a general measure rather than a specific list, so the relation is somewhat metaphorical and not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The expression off the charts comes from simple graphs or score charts: when a line or number goes past the top, it is literally off the charts. That's why people use it to say something is 'very high' or far beyond the usual level.