Be Out of Element - Idiom of the Day for IELTS

If you aspire for a high band score in the IELTS exam, it is always a good idea to learn to sound natural! Native users frequently use idioms like 'Be out of element' in their speech, so you can also be familiar with a few of the more common ones.

So use this idiom - Be out of element to add variety and depth to your IELTS Speaking answers and showcase your lexical resources, accounting for 25% of the total IELTS band score.

Get ready to learn all about the 'Be out of Element' idiom now!

Meaning of the 'Be Out of Element' IELTS Idiom

To feel unhappy or strange because you are in a situation that you are not familiar with.

Synonyms of the 'Be Out of Element' Idiom

Here are some synonyms and similar expressions for the idiom “Be Out of Element.”

• Like a fish out of water
• Out of one's depth
• Not in one's comfort zone

A Sample Scenario to Use the Idiom ‘Be Out of Element’

Scenario: Attending a High-Society Function

Reeta is a software engineer who usually wears shorts and works from home. One day, her friend invites her to a formal charity function filled with politicians and celebrities.

Sentence

Reeta was entirely out of her element at the function, and she didn’t know how to act or what to say to the wealthy guests around her.

Be Out of Element - Sample Sentences

• Elen found herself in a complete awkward situation when being dragged to her friend’s party. Since she wasn’t very socially dynamic and led a quiet life, Elen felt out of her element around other social butterflies.
• We were out of our element at the grandeur and luxury level of the wedding ceremony since we had only been to events like this on rare occasions.

Glossary

• Socially dynamic: sociable
• Social butterfly (n): a person who is socially dynamic, networking, charismatic, and personally gregarious
• Grandeur (n): the quality of being great and impressive in appearance
• On rare occasions: seldom, barely

Be Out of Element - Practice Exercise

1. At once, I moved from a small town to a bigger city, I __________ for the first few days.
2. She loves working with numbers, so she__________ in that technical writing class.
3. I felt __________ when there was a business meeting at my friend’s office since I was from a creative arts background.

Answers

1. was out of my element
2. was out of his element
3. out of my element

The idiom ‘be out of element’ is a powerful way to express that you feel uncomfortable in a particular situation. By using such idiomatic expressions in IELTS Speaking, test takers like you can sound more fluent, expressive, and natural in your conversations. So keep learning!

Also Check

• Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Score Band 8.0+ 
• Common Idioms List for IELTS Speaking 
• 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking (Part 3/5)