out of place

Idioms  

1. Not in the proper situation, not belonging; inappropriate for the circumstances or location. For example, A high school graduate, she felt out of place among all these academics with advanced degrees, or This velvet sofa is out of place on the porch. This idiom uses place in the sense of “a fitting position.” [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out of place

Once, after a worker dyed her hair blonde, she rushed back to the hairdresser to make it black again, worried she would look out of place at the company, the worker said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

It was in the France game that Charles showed he belonged among the elite players, not looking out of place against a side who went on to be World Cup semi-finalists.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

But under the surface, little bits of notes fall precisely in and out of place in a rhythmic structure almost too hard to count.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Neither Wilde nor Rogen would be out of place in a ’50s-era sitcom.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Ellsberg, feeling absurdly out of place, hurried behind with his date’s heavy tape machine.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• awkward
• erroneous
• false
• ill-advised
• imprudent
• inaccurate
• inadmissible
• inappropriate
• incorrect
• irregular
• unwarranted
• wrong