out of the ordinary

/aʊt əv ðə ˈɔːdɪnəri/
phraseIntermediate unusual or remarkable
informal

Unusual, remarkable, or different from what is normal or expected.

Her creativity is out of the ordinary.

Her creativity is unusual and remarkable.

The event was out of the ordinary for the small town.

The event was unusual and remarkable for the small town.

💡

This phrase is often used to describe something that stands out as exceptional or different from the norm.

Collocations

completely out of the ordinarycompletely unusual or remarkablefar out of the ordinaryvery unusual or remarkable

Related Phrases

above and beyond the ordinaryphrase
exceptionally good or impressive

💡Pro Tip

Usage Tip

Use 'out of the ordinary' to describe something that is notably different or exceptional, often in a positive way.

📖Word Origin

The phrase 'out of the ordinary' combines the preposition 'out of' with the adjective 'ordinary' to create a phrase meaning something that is not typical or usual.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe something that is exceptional or different from what is expected.

Word Breakdown

out of
not within
prepositional phrase
+
the ordinary
the usual or typical
noun phrase
English Dictionary