out of touch

Idioms

No longer in contact or communication, as in John and Mark have been out of touch for years, or That speech showed he's out of touch with his constituency. This metaphoric expression alludes to physical contact. [Late 1800s] Also see in touch.

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.

They’re insincere and elitist and out of touch and smug in many respects, from the perspective of a young man.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

The youth-led protests were triggered by a brief social media ban, but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of touch.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

“These tactics — if you call them that — are far and away out of touch with contemporary policing standards.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

Duckett looked horribly out of touch, swishing and swiping.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

“I don’t mind working. And anyway, what would I do? I don’t like to watch TV. I’m out of touch with my own generation. And I have you and mom to thank for that.”

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023