我们常说out of work 表示“某人失业”。例如：I worried about whether I would become out of work. “我担心我将来是否会失业。”英语中，out和 of是一对孪生兄弟，经常在一起使用，可以说是固定搭配，不需要拆开分析了！它的用法我们已是司空见惯，由其构成的短语也十分普遍。因此，我们对此作一归纳和总结。

（一）“out of ...”的8种用法

1. 表示静态的地点方位，意为“离开，在……之外”：

Fish can not live out of water．鱼离开了水就不能活。

That factory is situated only five miles out of the city．那家工厂离市区仅五英里。

2. 表示动态的地点方向，意为“从……出来”：

A smelly gas came out of the cracks. 一种带有臭味的气体从裂缝中冒了出来。

Mice ran out of the fields looking for places to hide. 老鼠从地里跑出来寻找地方藏身。

3. 表示“在……范围以外”，“越出……界限”：

I watched the plane go higher and higher until it was out of sight. 我观看飞机越飞越高，一直到它看不见为止。

This plan is out of the ordinary．这是一个非凡的计划。

4. 表示“出于……动机”，“由于……原因”：

He did it totally out of kindness, not for the money. 他做那件事完全是出于仁慈，而不是为了金钱。

The traffic accident was out of carelessness in driving. 这起交通事故是由于粗心驾驶所致。

5. 表示“用尽或缺乏”：

We are nearly out of tea now. 我们的茶叶快用完了。

The car has run out of gas. 那辆车耗尽了汽油。

6. 表示“材料或来源”：

He made a box out of some old wood. 他用旧木头做了一只箱子。

This paragraph is out of Marx’s works in the original. 这一段引自马克思的原著。

7. 表示整体的“部分关系”：

This will happen in nine cases out of ten. 这种情况十之八九会发生。

That is only one instance out of many. 那只不过是许多例子中的一个而已。

8. 与某些动词连用，表示“放弃或丧失”：

He talked his wife out of buying a new bicycle. 他说服他的妻子不要买新自行车。

I couldn’t persuade him out of the decision. 我没能说服他改变决定。

 （二）“out of +名词”固定词组举隅

1. out of action 不在运转；发生故障

The engine of the car is out of action. 这辆小汽车的发动机出了故障。

2. out of breath 气喘吁吁，喘不过气来

We ran so fast that we were out of breath. 我们跑得太快以致喘不过气来。

3. out of balance失去平衡

Out of balance, the man fell off the ladder suddenly. 失去平衡，那人突然从梯子上摔下来。

4. out of business停业；破产

This shop has gone out of business for two months. 这家商店已经停业两个月了。

5. out of character 不相称；不恰当

It is out of character for him to say things like that. 他说那样的话是不恰当的。

6. out of condition 身体不好，情况欠佳

I’ve had no exercise for ages; I’m really out of condition. 我已多时没锻炼了，现在健康状况欠佳。

7. out of control 失去控制

The car went out of control and ran into a wall. 汽车失控，撞在一堵墙上。

8. out of danger 脱离险境

They’re still following us; we’re not out of danger yet. 他们仍然跟着，我们还没有脱险。

9. out of date 过时，已不能用

I must renew my passport. It’s out of date. 我要更换护照，这一本已经过期啦。

10. out of debt 还清负债，没有债务

I wish I could get out of debt now. 我希望我现在无债一身轻啊。

11. out of doors 在户外

We often have our food out of doors in summer. 我们夏天经常在室外吃饭。

12. out of doubt无可置疑

He said their team would win the match out of doubt. 他说他们队肯定会赢得比赛。

13. out of fashion 不合时尚，不时兴的

That style of dress is out of fashion. 那种服装式样已经不流行。

14. out of fear 出于害怕

They obeyed him out of fear rather than respect. 他们听从他的命令是出于害怕而并非尊敬。

15. out of favor 失宠；不受欢迎

He felt out of favor in Vienna and went to London. 他在维也纳不受欢迎，就去了伦敦。

16. out of gratitude 出于感谢

John helped her out of gratitude for all she had done for him. 约翰帮助她是出于感激她为他所做的一切。

17. out of gear运转失调；出了故障

My watch got out of gear and would not run. 我的表出了毛病，不走啦。

18. out of hand 失去控制；脱手

These boys have got quite out of hand. 这些男孩已完全不受管束了。

19. out of harmony不和谐；不协调

The violin was out of harmony with the rest of the instruments. 小提琴拉得与其他乐器不谐调。

20. out of hearing 在听不见的地方

Now they are out of hearing. 现在他们离得很远，听不见了。

21. out of humor 情绪不好，不高兴

What has put her out of humor today? 今天什么事使她不高兴？

22. out of kindness出于好意

Out of kindness, perhaps, nobody said publicly what everybody knew privately. 可能出于好意，谁也没有公开说出人人都知道的秘密。

23. out of love 不再爱；不喜欢

If you love someone, you can always fall out of love again. 如果你爱上一个人，也可能总会失去这份爱。

24. out of luck 运气不好；不凑巧

You are out of luck. He just left and he won’t be back for two weeks. 你来得真不凑巧。他刚走，而且两周内不会回来。

25. out of mind发狂；心不在焉

Out of sight, out of mind. 眼不见，心不想。

26. out of necessity出于必要

Quite a few innovations have been created out of necessity. 由于需要，不少新的发明都已被创造出来了。

27. out of office下台；在野

There is no doubt that he will be out of office after this disaster. 此次灾难之后，他无疑将下台。

28. out of order 次序紊乱；损坏了

The room was completely out of order. 整个房间乱七八糟。

29. out of patience 不耐烦

I was out of patience with his carelessness. 我对他的粗枝大叶已无法容忍。

30. out of place 不在适当的位置；不适宜

He felt out of place in their company. 跟他们在一起他感到不自在。

31. out of pity 出于同情

He gave the beggar a few coins out of pity. 出于同情，他给了那乞丐几个硬币。

32. out of practice 荒疏的

I can’t speak English fluently as I am out of practice. 我不能流利地说英语，因为我已荒疏了。

33. out of print 已售完的，已绝版的

She couldn’t find the book in stores because it is out of print. 她在商店里找不到这本书，因为它已经绝版了。

34. out of question的确，毫无疑问

He is out of question the greatest authority on this subject now living. 他无疑是现今活在世上的有关该学科的最高权威。

35. out of the question 不可能

We cannot go out in this weather—it is out of the question. 天气这样糟，我们不能出去，这是完全不可能的。

36. out of reach 无法拿到

He put the box just out of reach. 他把盒子刚好放在够不到的地方。

37. out of repair 损坏的，失修的

The bridge has been out of repair for ages. 这座桥已年久失修。

38. out of season 过时的，过了旺季的

Hotel charges are lower out of season. 旅馆在淡季收费较低。

39. out of service 退役，退职

He has been out of service in the army for many years. 他已退伍多年。

40. out of shape变形，走样

The shoes were worn out of shape. 鞋穿得走形了。

41. out of sight 看不见的

The ship is now out of sight. 那艘轮船现在看不见了。

42. out of sorts 身体不适；心情不佳

She was feeling out of sorts after eating lunch. 她吃过午饭后感到不太舒服。

43. out of step 步调不一致；不协调；不符合

He seems to be out of step with his colleagues. 他好像跟同事们合不来。

44. out of style 过时的，不再流行的

Her dress is out of style. 她的穿着不时髦。

45. out of temper 发怒，发脾气

The boss was out of temper with him yesterday. 昨天老板对他发脾气。

46. out of the ordinary不寻常的

The life of the young hero was out of the ordinary. 这位青年英雄的一生是不平凡的。

47. out of touch 脱离，失去联系

Old people sometimes seem out of touch with the modern world. 老年人有时似乎脱离了现代世界。

48. out of town 不在城里

We are used to spending our weekends out of town. 我们习惯于到城外去度周末。

49. out of trouble 摆脱困境

He was kind enough to help me out of trouble. 他真好，帮我摆脱了困境。

50. out of tune 不合拍；不一致；不协调

He felt out of tune with his classmates. 他感到与他的同学格格不入。

51. out of use 不再被使用

This old table has gone out of use. 这张旧桌子已废弃不用了。

52. out of work 失业

James has been out of work for six months. 詹姆斯已经失业六个月了。