# bolt from the blue

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bolt-from-the-blue
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.

## Examples

- The news of his sudden resignation was a bolt from the blue.
- The company closing its doors without any warning came as a total bolt from the blue for all the employees.
- Her unexpected decision to move across the country arrived like a bolt from the blue, leaving her family in a state of complete shock.

## Origin

A lightning bolt from a clear blue sky; popularised by Thomas Carlyle's The French Revolution (1837).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.