out of the ordinary

Idioms  

1. Unusual, uncommon, exceptional, as in The venison they served was certainly out of the ordinary. This expression sometimes, but not always, indicates that something is better than the usual. However, the negative version, nothing out of the ordinary, usually indicates that something is not special or outstanding, as in It was an interesting lecture, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Example Sentences

"There was nothing out of the ordinary at all. No little cables hanging out or anything," Suranovas says.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

A 10% drop isn’t anything out of the ordinary for AppLovin, which has been one of the most volatile large-cap stocks on the market in recent months.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

We had to admit we weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

This is nothing out of the ordinary, but it calls for a reset of likely destinations and contract value for the most coveted players.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

I look into the mirror but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood