out of nowhere
170
4.2
- idiom
:
de la nada
- She appeared out of nowhere, surprising everyone at the party.
- come out of nowhere
- appear out of nowhere
- seemingly out of nowhere
And one day a swan appeared out of nowhere on the Crying River.
- And one day a swan appeared out of nowhere on the Crying River.
- It seems like just out of nowhere, he kind of snapped.
- But then, out of nowhere, came this post.
- Sometimes you make some money out of nowhere, right?
- Now out of nowhere, a guy comes in front of me.
- You've seen a flu epidemic pop up out of nowhere, right?
- Anyway, so out of nowhere the cab driver decides to get involved.
- It was beautiful and the truck died out of nowhere.
Examples
-
And then yesterday, out of nowhere, Newsom tweets.
-
For many people, this new line of assault seemed to have come out of nowhere, and perhaps it had.
Academic text (2011) -
But then, out of nowhere, came this post.
-
Sometimes you make some money out of nowhere, right?
-
Now out of nowhere, a guy comes in front of me.
-
A sudden turn, a drop in the road, and out of nowhere we're up against the church and the river.
Academic text (2012) -
But sometimes life just out of nowhere starts swinging on you.
-
And one day, out of nowhere, I'm in bed.
-
Everything seems fine, then out of nowhere she bursts into tears.
Fiction book (1993) -
You've seen a flu epidemic pop up out of nowhere, right?
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Quickly and without warning
987
2.7
Very quickly and without warning
183
4.2
Happens suddenly without warning or effort
145
3.3
In a sudden way that gives no warning
116
7.1
Happens quickly and without warning
99
2.3
Happening without any warning
95
3.4
Something happens suddenly and without warning
28
4.1
Suddenly and without any warning
25
5.8
Suddenly with no clear reason, like magic
1
7.1
To appear suddenly as a surprising solution or idea
1
7.2
Happens suddenly without you expecting it
1
8.0
In a way that is not expected
Antonyms
How Unexpected
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'out' (away/from) + 'of' + 'nowhere' (no place) to mean 'from no place', i.e. appearing without warning; this meaning is directly inferable from the constituent words. The composition mirrors common cross-linguistic patterns for 'from nowhere/unexpectedly', so an average B1 learner who knows the parts should understand it.
Etymology
Out of nowhere paints a simple picture: something coming out of nowhere, like a car appearing where you did not see anyone. That's why it means 'unexpected' or 'without warning'.