at sea
Idioms-
Aboard a ship, on the ocean, as in Within a few hours the ship would be out at sea . During World War II a famous American newscaster addressed his radio broadcasts to listeners everywhere, including “all the ships at sea.” [1300s]
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Also, all at sea . Perplexed, bewildered, as in She was all at sea in these new surroundings . This idiom transfers the condition of a vessel that has lost its bearings to the human mind. Charles Dickens used it in Little Dorrit (1855): “Mrs. Tickit ... was so plainly at sea on this part of the case.” [Second half of 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, the elevated heart rates may help remove lactic acid from the body and restore depleted oxygen reserves that could not fully recover while at sea.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2026
"After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea," he said.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Kim said this year will mark an “unprecedented upgrade” in bolstering North Korea’s military capabilities as he accelerates the modernization of his conventional forces on land and at sea.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Among those who left was a woman accompanying the body of her husband, who had died on April 11 while the ship was at sea in the Atlantic.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
If you are looking for ships at sea, the curvature of the globe means that the limit of how far you can see is determined by the horizon.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
