phrase🎓 English idiom
a fish out of water
someone out of place and uncomfortable
What it means
A fish out of water is someone who feels uncomfortable, awkward, or out of place in unfamiliar surroundings. It describes the unease people feel in a situation that doesn't suit them or that they aren't used to.
Words like “a fish out of water” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- At the formal dinner, the casual student felt like a fish out of water.
- Moving to a huge city, she was a fish out of water for months.
- He's a fish out of water at parties, preferring quiet evenings at home.
- Without my colleagues there, I was a complete fish out of water.
Where it comes from
The comparison dates back to the 14th century, appearing in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, and draws on the obvious distress of a fish stranded out of its natural element.
Related idioms
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