out of character
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Encountering a “Joy of Painting” episode in a pet food store, then, is not out of character.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
While Plaza loves how “freeing” animation is — “your imagination can run totally wild” — she says that even though it’s out of character for her, she’d play the “bad cop” in the writers room.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
Yun Sun, director of the China program of the Washington-based Stimson Center, said China's reticence was out of character and suspected Iran may have strategically tried to emphasize Beijing's power of persuasion.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
It’s his money, but I believe he may be depleting his retirement account, which is very out of character for him.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
This was quite out of character for a well-mannered Incorrigible, but not entirely out of character for an artist whose work has been so rudely unappreciated.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
