fish out: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1-B2Informal
Quick answer
What does “fish out” mean?
To pull or retrieve something, often with some difficulty, from a confined space or container.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To pull or retrieve something, often with some difficulty, from a confined space or container.
To extract information or a person from a reluctant source or a hidden situation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both dialects use the term identically. Minor differences may exist in typical collocates (e.g., 'fish out of a pond' vs. 'fish out of a lake').
Connotations
Similar in both; implies a casual, sometimes clumsy search-and-retrieve action.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British informal speech, but well-understood and used in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “fish out” in a Sentence
SUBJ + fish out + OBJ + (from/of + SOURCE)SUBJ + fish + OBJ + out + (from/of + SOURCE)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fish out” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He fished out a crumpled tenner from his jeans pocket.
- The detective finally fished the truth out of the reluctant witness.
American English
- She fished her sunglasses out of her tote bag.
- I managed to fish out the last cookie from the jar.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could be used metaphorically: 'We need to fish out the key data from that lengthy report.'
Academic
Very rare.
Everyday
Common: 'She fished out her phone from the bottom of her purse.'
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fish out”
- Using 'fish out' to mean 'go fishing' (e.g., 'Let's fish out on the lake').
- Incorrect particle order: 'He fished his keys out from his pocket' is correct; 'He out fished his keys' is wrong.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. 'Fish out' implies a more active, often physical process of searching within a container or hidden place to retrieve something.
Yes, it's commonly used metaphorically. For example: 'The interviewer fished out some interesting details.'
Yes, it is a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'fish the letter out' or 'fish out the letter'.
No, 'fish out' does not have a standard nominal form.
To pull or retrieve something, often with some difficulty, from a confined space or container.
Fish out is usually informal in register.
Fish out: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɪʃ aʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɪʃ aʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fish out of water (not directly related, but a phonological play)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a fisherman (FISH) pulling a boot (OUT) from the muddy water. You're 'fishing' something 'out' of a place.
Conceptual Metaphor
SEARCHING IS FISHING, RETRIEVAL IS CATCHING.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'fish out' used CORRECTLY?