out-of-sight

[out-uhv-sahyt]

adjective

1. Slang.,  fantastic; great; marvelous.

   an out-of-sight guitarist.

2. beyond reason; exceedingly high.

   out-of-sight hospital bills.

Word History and Origins

Origin of out of sight¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Idioms and Phrases

Also, out of someone's sight . Out of the range of vision, as in Stay out of sight while they're visiting , or Don't let the baby out of your sight in the yard . [c. 1200] This idiom is also used in the phrase get out of someone's sight , meaning “go away”; for example, Jean was furious with Bill and told him to get out of her sight at once .

Unreasonable, excessive, as in Our bill for the wine was out of sight . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

Excellent, superb, as in The graduation party was out of sight . This phrase is also used as an interjection meaning “Wonderful!” as in Do I like it? Out of sight! [ Slang ; second half of 1900s]

out of sight , out of mind . What is absent is soon forgotten, as in I don't think of them unless they send a Christmas card—out of sight, out of mind, I guess . This phrase has been proverbial since Homer's time; the earliest recorded use in English was about 1450.