out-of-body

American

[out-uhv-bod-ee] / ˈaʊt əvˈbɒd i /

adjective

of, relating to, or characterized by the dissociative sensation of perceiving oneself from an external vantage point, as though the mind or soul has left the body and is acting on its own.

an alleged out-of-body experience.

Etymology

Origin of out-of-body

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Him leaving me on the beach sparked a panic attack. It just came over me like a tidal wave. It felt like an out-of-body experience," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

In his letter entitled "To Those I've Hurt," he said he sometimes has "disconnected moments" that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior, describing such instances as feeling like an out-of-body experience.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

When these regions of the brain are disturbed through experiments like the rubber hand illusion, people report feeling out-of-body experiences.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

Listening to all of this feels like an out-of-body experience.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025

He looked like he was drifting somewhere, having some sort of out-of-body experience.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023