out-of-body experience

British

noun

Abbreviation: OBE. OOBE. a vivid feeling of being detached from one's body, usually involving observing it and its environment from nearby Compare near-death experience

"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

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.

In his letter entitled "To Those I've Hurt," he said he sometimes has "disconnected moments" that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior, describing such instances as feeling like an out-of-body experience.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

And the first time you do it, it’s a completely out-of-body experience because you have to marry both things up at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

“That ballet taught me a lot. It was my first taste of freedom on stage … almost like an out-of-body experience, you’re not controlling yourself.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2024

"I wanted to vomit... I had dizziness, it was a completely out-of-body experience," she said.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

He looked like he was drifting somewhere, having some sort of out-of-body experience.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

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