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

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

She didn’t think it was out of the ordinary, given the fire had just been contained a few hours earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

In those European Cup finals, without John producing something out of the ordinary, we don’t win them.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

I was too young to realize that something out of the ordinary was going to happen.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl