Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bolt from the blue

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.00 in modern English

Syllables
bolt from the blue
IPA
27
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
1
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

Suggesting a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

Usage

Inflected Forms

bolts from the blue (plural)

Phrases

out of nowhere out of the blue turn up for the book

Frequently Paired Words

out of nowhere out of the blue turn up for the book act of God accident

Questions

What does bolt from the blue mean?
A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.
Where does bolt from the blue come from?
Suggesting a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

How to pronounce bolt from the blue

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bolt from the blue”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bolt from the blue”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bolt from the blue” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.