pick out of a hat

verb

To determine by chance, especially by drawing lots.

“That number was just picked out of a hat.”

Similar
draw lotspluck from thin air
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Meanings

verbpick out of a hat (third-person singular simple present picks out of a hat, present participle picking out of a hat, simple past and past participle picked out of a hat)

present singular third person picks out of a hat · participle present picking out of a hat · participle past picked out of a hat · past picked out of a hat · alternative pick from a hat

  1. To determine by chance, especially by drawing lots.

    Synonyms: draw lots

  2. To substitute a guess for unavailable data.

    That number was just picked out of a hat.

    Synonyms: pluck from thin air

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo determine by chance, especially by drawing lots.

Similar
draw lots

verbTo substitute a guess for unavailable data.

Similar
pluck from thin air

Origin

Referring to the impromptu use of one's hat as a receptacle for drawing paper lots from.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pick out of a hat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20out%20of%20a%20hat

MLA

“pick out of a hat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20out%20of%20a%20hat. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pick out of a hat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20out%20of%20a%20hat.

Source: pick out of a hat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.