English

Prepositional phrase

at sea

1. On the ocean or sea, typically of a ship or person aboard a ship.
   • 1915, George A. Birmingham, “chapter I”, in Gossamer (Project Gutenberg; EBook #24394), London: Methuen & Co., published 8 January 2013 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 558189256:

     It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the **** begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.

2. (idiomatic) In a state of confusion or bewilderment.

   Most of the class was at sea after the first week.‎

   • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2-1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:

     Wojciech Szczesny was then called into action twice in a minute to parry fierce drives from Djebbour and Torossidis as Arsenal's back four looked all at sea.

Synonyms

• at a loss, adrift

Translations

See also

• worse things happen at sea

Anagrams

• saeta