Up in the air describes a plan with no home yet. The decision is floating, not settled, and nobody knows how it will land.
The idiom is useful in work and travel: a date may be up in the air, a contract may be up in the air, a holiday may be up in the air until the schedules become clear.
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the related phrases. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer.
What it means
In one sentence: If something is up in the air, it is undecided, uncertain or not yet settled.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It means the question is still open: "The date of the meeting is up in the air."
- The decision may go one way or the other; the idiom does not predict the result.
- It suits plans, dates, contracts, projects and travel arrangements.
- It can describe a whole situation: "Everything is up in the air after the announcement."
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The usual pattern is be up in the air: "The plan is still up in the air."
- The verb be changes with tense: was, were, has been. The phrase itself never changes.
- Common patterns are still up in the air and leave something up in the air.
- The article stays the: up in the air, never up in air.
When the idiom does not fit
- Do not use it for a decision that is already made; say "settled" or "confirmed".
- It is not the same as "impossible"; an up-in-the-air plan can still happen.
- Avoid it in formal writing when a clear status is needed; say "the decision is pending".
- Do not use it for a person who is confused; the phrase describes a situation, not a mind.
Use it or not
Register: Neutral to informal. Up in the air is common in conversation, in work emails and in light business writing. It describes uncertainty without drama. In a formal status report, write "the decision is pending" or "the timetable is not confirmed". The phrase is never rude.
Examples
- The date of the wedding is still up in the air.Still emphasises the lack of a decision.
- Our travel plans are up in the air because of the storm.The reason for the uncertainty follows.
- The contract was up in the air for weeks.The past form describes an uncertain period.
- Whether we move house is up in the air until June.The idiom governs a whether clause.
- Everything is up in the air after the merger news.The idiom can describe a whole uncertain situation.
- The budget is still up in the air, so we cannot book anything.The consequence of the uncertainty is clear.
- They left the start date up in the air.Leave something up in the air is a common pattern.
Similar idioms
undecided
the plain word for a decision not yet made.
in limbo
in a state of waiting with nothing settled.
in the balance
uncertain, with the result still possible either way.
not set in stone
not fixed and still open to change.
pending
waiting for a decision, the formal word.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
We have not chosen a date yet; the wedding is still ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. up in the air Up in the air means not yet decided, which fits the missing wedding date.
Which sentence uses up in the air correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The contract is still up in the air. The idiom means undecided, so the unsigned contract fits; a balloon or a signed contract does not.
What does up in the air mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. uncertain and not decided Up in the air describes a decision or plan that is still uncertain, not something flying.
The manager has not decided whether the office moves. What is the decision?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. up in the air An undecided question is up in the air; on the fence describes a person avoiding a choice.
Which situation fits up in the air?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a holiday whose date is not confirmed The idiom is for plans that are not settled, so the unconfirmed holiday date fits.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "The plan is up in the air."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The plan is not decided yet. Up in the air means undecided, so the plain version is that the plan is not decided yet.
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The schedule is still up in the air. The fixed phrase keeps the article the and the singular air: up in the air.
You do not know whether you can attend the conference. What can you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. My attendance is up in the air. Up in the air means the decision is not settled, which matches the uncertain attendance.
Which sentence does NOT use the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The kite is up in the air and flying well. The kite sentence is literal; the idiom is about an undecided question.
A client asks whether the launch date is fixed. It is not. What can you reply?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The launch date is still up in the air. Up in the air means the launch date is not yet decided, which answers the client honestly.
Questions learners ask
Is up in the air formal or informal?
It is neutral to informal. It works in conversation, in work emails and in light business writing. For a formal status report, use "the decision is pending" or "the schedule is not confirmed".
Does up in the air mean the plan will not happen?
No. It means the decision has not been made. The plan may still go ahead. If it is impossible, use a phrase such as "when pigs fly" or "that ship has sailed".
Can I say up in air?
No. The fixed phrase keeps the article the: up in the air. Without the, the sentence sounds incomplete, even though the meaning would be understood.
More idioms
The ball is in your court
If the ball is in your court, it is your turn to take action or make the next decision.
Cut corners
To cut corners is to do a job in a quicker or cheaper way by skipping the proper steps, usually with poor results.
Break the ice
To break the ice is to say or do something that ends the first awkward silence when people meet and do not know each other yet.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.