at sea

at sea

See also: atsea

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

at sea

1. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see at,‎ sea.
   • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, OCLC 5661828:

     It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.

2. (idiomatic) In a state of confusion or bewilderment.

   Most of the class was at sea after the first week.

   • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2-1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:

     Wojciech Szczesny was then called into action twice in a minute to parry fierce drives from Djebbour and Torossidis as Arsenal's back four looked all at sea.

Synonyms

• at a loss, adrift

Translations

at the ocean or sea

Danish: til søs Finnish: merellä French: en mer Icelandic: á sjó, úti (is)

Norwegian: Bokmål: til havs Nynorsk: til havs

in a state of confusion or bewilderment

French: noyé (fr) m, largué (fr)

See also

• worse things happen at sea

Anagrams

• Aetas, saeta