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Synonyms

blue-sky

American  
[bloo-skahy] / ˈbluˈskaɪ /

adjective

  1. fanciful; impractical.

    blue-sky ideas.

  2. (especially of securities) having dubious value; not financially sound.

    a blue-sky stock.


blue-sky British  

noun

  1. (modifier) of or denoting theoretical research without regard to any future application of its result

    a blue-sky project

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to theorize (about something that may not lead to any practical application)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of blue-sky

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

See Examples For:

Many firms deliberately hold blue-sky sessions where participants are asked to voice ideas they would normally suppress fearing colleague ridicule.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 8, 2026

Sillie posted a second video, the cellphone panning to the ruins against a blue-sky backdrop.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 30, 2026

For hours on a crisp, blue-sky day, kite flyers mingled with sign-wavers, sharing space on the National Mall as they pursued their dueling missions.

From Barron's Mar. 28, 2026

Some of this is blue-sky thinking about the future.

From BBC Mar. 20, 2026

And probably never even heard the blue-sky sound on their trumpets.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

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