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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

out of one's depth en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (literally) In water so deep that one cannot stand and may be at risk of drowning.
  2. (figuratively, idiomatic) In a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.
    • The team's first game was against the league champions; they were out of their depth and knew it.
    • She doesn’t know Joker, she’s out of her depth. I need to save her. 2011 October 18, Batman: Arkham City, spoken by Batman (Kevin Conroy), Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, via Rocksteady Studios:
    • Hatmaker described a similar reckoning: sitting in her attorney’s office, out of her depth, asking him to explain her finances “like a child.” 2026 April 22, Jillian Sanders, “The Danger of Surrendering Your Financial Independence in a Relationship”, in TIME, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2026:
    • Weak management and a small team of civil servants who were out of their depth have been roundly blamed for the £4 billion overspend on London's Elizabeth line (Crossrail) and its opening four years late in May 2022. 2024 April 3, Howard Johnston, “Network News: Weak bosses and staff blamed for Crossrail overspend”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 20:

Synonyms

in over one's head · out of one's league

Translations (9)

sv ute på djupt vatten (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle) · fi liian syvissä vesissä (in water so deep that one cannot stand and may be at risk of drowning) · hu kicsúszik a lába alól a talaj (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle) · hu elveszti a talajt a lába alól (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle) · hu meghaladja a képességeit (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle) · ca no tocar de peus (in water so deep that one cannot stand and may be at risk of drowning) · es meterse en honduras (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle) · fr n'avoir pas pied (in water so deep that one cannot stand and may be at risk of drowning) · hu nem tud megbirkózni vele (in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle)