fresh off the boat

adjective

Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of their new environment.

Similar
FOB
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Meanings

adjective

alternative fob · alternative FOB

  1. derogatoryidiomaticusuallyNewly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of their new environment.

    You were fresh off the boat from Virginia / I had a year in New York City under my belt / We met in a dream, we were both nineteen

    1998, “Two Little Girls”, in Ani DiFranco (lyrics), Little Plastic Castle, performed by Ani DiFranco
    1 more example

    Metropolis is the story of a harmless, hapless, nameless young German immigrant, fresh off the boat in 1860-something, who has a knack for naively stumbling into complicated plots through no fault of his own.

    2005, Lev Grossman, "They Built This City (book review)," Time, 20 Mar.

    Synonyms: FOB

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveNewly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of their new environment.

Similar
FOB
Also see
credulousgreengullible
Cite this entry
APA

fresh off the boat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fresh%20off%20the%20boat

MLA

“fresh off the boat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fresh%20off%20the%20boat. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fresh off the boat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fresh%20off%20the%20boat.

Source: fresh off the boat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.