Meanings
nounbolt from the blue (plural bolts from the blue)
plural bolts from the blue
- idiomaticinformalA complete surprise; something totally unexpected.
His death came as a bolt from the blue.
Origin
Suggesting a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian като гръм от ясно небе, изневиделица
- като гръм от ясно небе (kato grăm ot jasno nebe)something totally unexpected
- изневиделица (iznevidelica)something totally unexpected
Chinese Mandarin 晴天霹靂 /晴天霹雳, 突如其來 /突如其来
- 晴天霹靂 /晴天霹雳 (qíngtiānpīlì)something totally unexpected
- 突如其來 /突如其来 (tūrúqílái, túrúqílái)something totally unexpected
Czech blesk z čistého nebe
- blesk z čistého nebesomething totally unexpected
Danish som et lyn fra en klar himmel
- som et lyn fra en klar himmelsomething totally unexpected
Dutch donderslag bij heldere hemel
- donderslag bij heldere hemelsomething totally unexpected
Finnish salama kirkkaalta taivaalta
- salama kirkkaalta taivaaltasomething totally unexpected
German Blitz aus heiterem Himmel
- Blitz aus heiterem Himmelsomething totally unexpected
Hebrew כְּרַעַם בְּיוֹם בָּהִיר
- כְּרַעַם בְּיוֹם בָּהִיר (kerá'am beyóm bahír)something totally unexpected
Hungarian derült égből villámcsapás
- derült égből villámcsapássomething totally unexpected
Icelandic eins og þruma úr heiðskíru lofti, eins og skrattinn úr sauðaleggnum
- eins og þruma úr heiðskíru loftisomething totally unexpected
- eins og skrattinn úr sauðaleggnumsomething totally unexpected
- sem reiðarslagsomething totally unexpected
- eins og þruma úr heiðríkjusomething totally unexpected
- öllum að óvörumsomething totally unexpected
Indonesian petir di siang bolong
- petir di siang bolongsomething totally unexpected
Japanese 青天の霹靂
- 青天の霹靂 (seiten no hekireki)something totally unexpected
Korean 청천벽력
- 청천벽력 (cheongcheonbyeongnyeok)something totally unexpected
Latvian kā pērkons no skaidrām debesīm, kā sniegs uz galvas
- kā pērkons no skaidrām debesīmsomething totally unexpected
- kā sniegs uz galvassomething totally unexpected
Lithuanian lyg perkūnas iš giedro dangaus
- lyg perkūnas iš giedro dangaussomething totally unexpected
Norwegian Bokmål som lyn fra klar himmel
- som lyn fra klar himmelsomething totally unexpected
Polish grom z jasnego nieba
- grom z jasnego niebasomething totally unexpected
Portuguese imprevisto
- imprevistosomething totally unexpected
Romanian din senin
- din seninsomething totally unexpected
Russian гром среди́ я́сного не́ба, как снег на́ голову
- гром среди́ я́сного не́ба (grom sredí jásnovo néba)something totally unexpected
- как снег на́ голову (kak sneg ná golovu)something totally unexpected
Scottish Gaelic clach às an adhar
- clach às an adharsomething totally unexpected
Spanish como rayo caído del cielo
- como rayo caído del cielosomething totally unexpected
Swedish som en blixt från klar himmel
- som en blixt från klar himmelsomething totally unexpected
Ukrainian грім се́ред я́сно́го не́ба, грім з я́сно́го не́ба
- грім се́ред я́сно́го не́ба (hrim séred jásnóho néba)something totally unexpected
- грім з я́сно́го не́ба (hrim z jásnóho néba)something totally unexpected
Cite this entry
APA
bolt from the blue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bolt%20from%20the%20blue
MLA
“bolt from the blue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bolt%20from%20the%20blue. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bolt from the blue,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bolt%20from%20the%20blue.
Source: bolt from the blue on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.