Not obstructing, hindering, or interfering, as in This chair is out of the way now, so you won't trip . This phrase also appears in get out of the (or one's) way , as in Would you please get your coat out of the way? or Get your car out of my way . [Mid-1500s]
remote from much-traveled, frequented, or populous regions; secluded.
an out-of-the-way inn up in the hills.
seldom encountered; unusual.
out-of-the-way information.
giving offense; improper.
an out-of-the-way remark.
distant from more populous areas
uncommon or unusual
Not obstructing, hindering, or interfering, as in This chair is out of the way now, so you won't trip . This phrase also appears in get out of the (or one's) way , as in Would you please get your coat out of the way? or Get your car out of my way . [Mid-1500s]
Taken care of, disposed of, as in I'm glad we got these details out of the way .
In a remote location, as in This restaurant is a little out of the way . [Mid-1300s]
Unusual, remarkable, as in It was out of the way for him to praise his staff . [Second half of 1500s]
Amiss, in error, improper, as in The security guard checked all the locks and saw nothing out of the way . [Early 1200s] Also see go out of one's way .
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Mr. Morby does just that, with a track that sets the scene for big feelings unfolding in out-of-the-way places.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Most of Sheridan’s hit streak is built around the strivings of rough men willing to do whatever it takes to rule out-of-the-way corners of the country.
From Salon • Nov. 16, 2025
Many who were imprisoned there, and at similar camps scattered in out-of-the-way corners of the country, spent the rest of their lives trying to erase the memory.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2024
Setting aside some out-of-the-way spaces for ground-nesting bees allows everyone to coexist more happily.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024
In the lower right-hand corner, in much the same out-of-the-way position as the disappearing legs of Icarus in the painting by Bruegel, my parents are making lunch.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
