A bolt from the blue Meaning in English
expression
ˈeɪ/, /ə/ /ˈboʊɫt/ /ˈfɹəm/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈbɫu
uh BOHLT frum thuh BLOO
æɪ/ /bˈəʊlt/ /fɹˈɒm/ /ðə, ði/ /blˈuː
uh-BOHlt frum thuh BLOO
Definition
An event or piece of news that is sudden and completely unexpected, often surprising or shocking people.
Usage & Nuances
This idiom is mostly used in written and spoken English for major surprises. It is slightly formal. Commonly used for very unexpected news or happenings, not for small daily surprises.
Spanish: como un rayo caído del cielo - inesperadamentePortuguese (BR): um raio em céu azul - inesperadamentePortuguese (PT): um raio num céu limpo - inesperadamenteChinese (Simplified): 晴天霹雳 - 意外Chinese (Traditional): 晴天霹靂 - 意外Hindi: आसमान से बिजली गिरना - अचानकArabic: صدمة مفاجئة - مثل صاعقة من السماءBengali: আকাশ থেকে পড়া বজ্রপাত - হঠাৎ আঘাতRussian: как гром среди ясного небаJapanese: 青天の霹靂Vietnamese: sét đánh ngang tai - tin sét đánhKorean: 날벼락 - 청천벽력Turkish: gökten düşen yıldırım - açık havada gelen şokUrdu: آسمان سے گرا ہوا بجلی کا کڑکاIndonesian: petir di siang bolong - kejutan besar
Example Sentences
The news of his resignation was a bolt from the blue.
basic
Her sudden illness came as a bolt from the blue.
basic
Losing the contract was a bolt from the blue for the team.
basic
When she said she was moving to another country, it was a bolt from the blue.
natural
The announcement about the company shutting down came as a bolt from the blue to everyone.
natural
His proposal was a bolt from the blue—nobody saw it coming!
natural