out of practice

Thân thiện

She is out of practice on the piano.

Definition

Adjective: - Impaired in skill by neglect: Describes a state where one's ability or proficiency in a particular skill has declined due to a lack of recent use or exercise.

Usage

The phrase "out of practice" is used to describe a person whose skills are no longer as sharp or effective as they once were because they have not been using them regularly. It implies a temporary decline that can be reversed with renewed practice.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to be out of practice": The most common construction, used as a predicate adjective following a form of the verb "to be."
  • After his injury, he was completely out of practice and had to start training slowly.
• "to get out of practice": Describes the process of losing skill through neglect.
  • If you don't play regularly, you'll quickly get out of practice.

Variants and Related Words

• Rusty (adj.): A common informal synonym meaning impaired through disuse.
  • My Spanish is a bit rusty.
• Unpracticed (adj.): Lacking practice or training; not experienced. (Note: This can mean never having practiced, whereas "out of practice" implies a previous state of skill.)

Synonyms

• Rusty
• Unpracticed (in the sense of having lost skill)
• Not in practice

Antonyms

• In practice
• Proficient
• Sharp
• Well-practiced

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Use it or lose it": This proverb encapsulates the idea behind being "out of practice," meaning that skills diminish if not used.
• "A little rusty": A softer, more colloquial way to express being somewhat out of practice.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. impaired in skill by neglect

Từ đồng nghĩa

• out of practice
• rusty