out of the way
3
6.1
- idiom
:
inusual
- The artist's style is truly out of the way, breaking all traditional norms.
Examples
-
It's refreshing to see such out of the way ideas being presented at the conference.
-
Her decision to pursue a career in acrobatics was considered out of the way by her conservative family.
-
I would have to get that incident out of the way, get it clear in my mind, before I could go on.
Fiction book (1998) -
Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's talk about racing.
Blog text (31) -
Nice to get that first one out of the way and get some postseason experience.
Blog text (7) -
And yet, Americans are screaming for the government to get off their backs and out of the way.
Blog text (27) -
The others watched, staying out of the way, which wasn't at all normal.
Fiction book (1999) -
There's an out-of-the-way restaurant in the county that serves the best barbecued ribs I've ever tasted.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
∞
2.3
Unusual and slightly odd in a way you cannot easily understand
∞
2.2
Not common and different from what people expect
913
2.0
Not usual and not like what people expect
798
1.0
Different from what is normal or expected
160
4.5
Behaving in a way that is not acceptable to others
123
4.6
Different from what is normal and expected
101
4.1
Not normal or what people expect
100
4.2
Different from what is usual in a way that may be worrying
77
6.2
Different from what most people do or accept
63
3.5
Feeling uncomfortable because you do not belong in a place or situation
52
7.3
Not following the usual rules or customs
48
4.1
Not usual and different from what people expect
34
7.4
Strange or unusual in a way that surprises people
27
5.7
Different from what is usual or expected
23
8.1
Not like what is usual or expected
22
4.2
Not how a person usually behaves
22
6.6
Different from the usual in a fun or creative way
17
8.8
Very unusual in style or ideas
14
8.2
Different from what is normal, often in a way people see as wrong
8
8.1
Very unusual and far from normal in ideas or style
7
8.0
Strange and often funny in a surprising way
1
6.3
Not usual and often interesting or surprising
1
7.0
Not usual and different from what you expect
Not usual or expected
An idea or action that is unusual and not part of normal rules
Very unusual and sometimes strange in a way that attracts attention
Antonyms
How Normal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal composition 'out' + 'of' + 'the' + 'way' yields 'not in the way,' so a learner who knows the parts can readily infer a general sense of 'removed' or 'no longer obstructing.' However, the extension to the specific sense 'killed or violently removed' is a pragmatic/idiomatic shift that is not fully predictable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Out of the way can also mean unusual because something has gone away from the usual way of doing things, so it feels odd or improper. So it is used to say 'unusual' or not typical.