out of one's league

prepositional phrase

In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.

“An expensive car is out of your league right now, don't you think?”

Similar
beyond one's depthbeyond one's scopeout of one's depth
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticIn a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.

    I can't believe she agreed on a date with him. She's totally out of his league.

    2 more examples

    Feel her breath in my face / Her body close to me / Can't look in her eyes / She's out of my league

    1987, Patrick Swayze, Stacy Widelitz, “She's Like the Wind”, performed by Patrick Swayze

    He has an unwitting instructor in his cocky, bullying co-worker and pal, Kent (Pablo Schreiber), a slimeball whose knockout wife, Carly (Piper Perabo), is way out of his league.

    2008 June 3, Laura Collins-Hughes, “Neil LaBute Finds Reasons To Be Nice”, in New York Sun (theatre review), archived from the original on 05 Jun 2008
  2. idiomaticOut of one's depth; in a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle.

    These questions are out of my league, please let me ask a higher-up.

    1 more example

    Most U.S. authors trying to depict European sophistication seem indefinably out of their league, like children sashaying around in grown-up shoes.

    1964 May 15, “Also Current (book reviews)”, in Time, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2012

    Synonyms: beyond one's depth, beyond one's scope, out of one's depth

  3. idiomaticToo good or too expensive for one.

    An expensive car is out of your league right now, don't you think?

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseOut of one's depth; in a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle.

Similar
beyond one's depthbeyond one's scopeout of one's depth
Also see
beyond one's depthbeyond someone's scopeout of one's depth

Translations

Finnish eri sarjassa, heikolla jäällä
  • eri sarjassain a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others
  • heikolla jäälläin a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle
  • liian hienotoo good or too expensive
French au-dessus de ses moyens
  • au-dessus de ses moyenstoo good or too expensive
German eine Nummer zu groß für jemanden
  • eine Nummer zu groß für jemandenin a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others
Romanian a nu fi de nasul cuiva
  • a nu fi de nasul cuivatoo good or too expensive
Russian далеко́, не по зуба́м
  • далеко́in a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others
  • не по зуба́м (ne po zubám)in a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle
  • не по плечу́ (ne po plečú)in a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle
  • не по карма́ну (ne po karmánu)too good or too expensive
Spanish fuera de su liga, quedarle grande (algo a alguien)
  • fuera de su ligain a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others
  • quedarle grande (algo a alguien)in a situation which one is poorly prepared to handle
  • fuera del alcancetoo good or too expensive
Cite this entry
APA

out of one's league. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20one's%20league

MLA

“out of one's league.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20one's%20league. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “out of one's league,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20one's%20league.

Source: out of one's league on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.