How do you use "Out of left field" in a sentence?

That suggestion came out of left field. His resignation was totally out of left field. She's always coming up with ideas out of left field.

Out of left field

Q: What does "Out of left field" mean?

Completely unexpected or unusual. From baseball—something coming from an unexpected direction. Implies total surprise, often with a hint of oddity.

Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Completely unexpected or unusual.

完全出乎意料的、不寻常的

Completamente inesperado o inusual.

全く予想外の、突拍子もない

완전히 예상 밖의, 뜬금없는

From baseball—something coming from an unexpected direction. Implies total surprise, often with a hint of oddity.

源自棒球——指某事从意想不到的方向出现。表示完全的惊讶，通常带有一丝古怪的意味。

Del béisbol—algo que viene de una dirección inesperada. Implica sorpresa total, a menudo con un toque de rareza.

野球由来の表現。予想外の方向から何かが来ること。完全な驚きを表し、しばしば奇妙さのニュアンスも含む。

야구에서 유래—예상치 못한 방향에서 날아오는 것을 뜻한다. 완전한 놀라움을 의미하며, 종종 기이한 느낌이 섞여 있다.

Literal meaning: From the left part of the baseball field

Examples

That suggestion came out of left field.
那个建议完全出乎意料
Esa sugerencia fue totalmente inesperada
その提案は全く予想外だった
그 제안은 완전히 뜬금없었다.
His resignation was totally out of left field.
他的辞职完全出人意料
Su dimisión fue completamente inesperada
彼の辞任は完全に予想外だった
그의 사임은 전혀 예상 밖이었다.
She's always coming up with ideas out of left field.
她总是提出些稀奇古怪的想法
Siempre se le ocurren ideas de la nada
彼女はいつも突拍子もないアイデアを出す
그녀는 항상 뜬금없는 아이디어를 내놓는다.

Pronunciation

/aʊt əv left fiːld/

Usage Guide

Context: surprise, unusual, unexpected

Tone: surprised, bemused

✓ Do Say

Out of left field.
出乎意料的
De la nada
予想外の
뜬금없는
That came out of left field.
那真是意想不到
Eso fue inesperado
それは予想外だった
그건 정말 뜬금없었어
Way out in left field.
完全出乎意料
Completamente inesperado
完全に予想外
완전히 예상 밖이야

✗ Don't Say

Unexpected
Unexpected（意想不到）
Unexpected（Inesperado）
Unexpected（予想外）
Unexpected（예상 밖의）
Strange
Strange（奇怪）
Strange（Extraño）
Strange（奇妙）
Strange（이상한）

Common Mistakes

Very American—British may not understand
Also means eccentric: 'he's out in left field'

Origin & History

From baseball—possibly because left field is far from most of the action, or because of the mental hospital beyond left field at an old Chicago stadium.

Etymology: American baseball slang, early 20th century

First recorded: Early 1900s

Cultural Context

Era: Early 20th century to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: American sports; American business speak

Regional notes: American baseball term—less understood in British English.

Variations

Out of left fieldWay out in left fieldFrom left field