Idiom: Up in the air
Meaning
if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure. Definite plans have not been made yet.
If a matter is up in the air, it is uncertain, often because other matters have to be decided first.
Examples
“Jen, have you set a date for the wedding yet?”
“Not exactly, things are up in the air and we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
With his contract expiring during the summer, the defender’s future is up in the air.
The whole future of the project is still up in the air.
“plans are still up in the air”
Hull held a ziplock bag up in the air, and Moss’s heart dropped.
The man who’d taken the thing from him was holding it up in the air with both hands and dancing in a slow circle.
There they were, all together, up in the air and the table between them.
He kept hitting the ball straight up in the air with his head, feet, and knees, never letting it touch the ground, just keeping it going and going and going.
Our plans for the summer holiday are still up in the air because my boss hasn’t approved my vacation request.
Everything is still up in the air until we finalize a budget for the conference.
The speakers for the annual conference are still up in the air because the directors can’t seem to agree on this year’s theme.
Is the date for the meeting still up in the air? Make sure you leave enough time for people to clear their calendars.
Have you hired someone yet or is the job description for the position still up in the air?
I have no idea who will be coming to dinner next week. The guest list is still up in the air until we figure out who will be in town.
Is the parking situation still up in the air or were we able to get a guest pass?
Can we make some tentative plans? If you leave everything up in the air much longer the prices of flights and hotels will be much higher.
Unfortunately, there are no seats remaining on the 5:00 flight. See what happens when you leave things up in the air?
Our plans for the New Year’s are still up in the air but I’ll let you know what we decide in case you want to join us.
The person who we’ll select to replace the cleaner is still up in the air but we have a good list of candidates to choose from.
Origin
“In the air” has been used with a similar meaning since the mid-1700s, and this exact phrase has been in use since the first half of the 1900s. It may allude to a coin toss, since as long as the coin is still in the air, the outcome is unknown.
Synonyms
- yet to be decided
- in the works
FAQs
if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure. Definite plans have not been made yet.
“Not exactly, things are up in the air and we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”