blue-sky

1 of 3

adjective

1
: marked by a blue cloudless sky : clear
On a blue-sky day, it's easy to look up into the far-reaching atmosphere and marvel at the wonders that it holds …Nick Carbone
2
a
: characterized by unconstrained optimism or imagination : visionary
People need more quiet time to let their creative juices flow, time for blue-sky thinking early in a project, before too many constraints are applied.Tim Stevens
For a four-hour block on Saturdays, she might be a CEO in blue-sky mode, thinking exclusively about long-term strategy.David Zax
b
: overly optimistic about the future : unrealistic
A world without potential war between major countries was until two years ago the stuff of utopian novels, blue-sky dreams of minds not grounded in reality.Tom Clancy
One of the issues that raises its head increasingly in crowdfunding is the danger that people may try and launch dubious campaigns to raise finance for blue-sky products that have no chance of success or even working.John Kennedy
3
a
: having little or no value
blue-sky stock
b
: of or relating to blue-sky laws
blue-sky regulations

blue-sky

2 of 3

verb

blue-skied also blue-skyed; blue-skying; blue-skies

transitive + intransitive

: to offer ideas that are conceived by unrestrained imagination or optimism
When you get the developers in a room blue-skying about the things that they want to do, it's incredible—these are really brilliant people who want to do great things.Shari Steele
Those people have blue-skied and pushed the envelope and wandered around aimlessly outside the box as if their lives depended upon it.Jay Rayner
But innovators, when they blue-sky an idea, don't dwell on words like "equity" and "business plan," he [Patrick Dowd] says. Instead it's about "vision and passion" and daring to fail.Richard Leiby

blue sky

3 of 3

noun

plural blue skies
1
: a time or situation marked by easy progress or success
Growth is back to its old powerhouse levels; there seems to be nothing but blue sky ahead on the inflation front.Amity Shlaes
Before such blue skies actually arrive, however, several major problems will have to be resolved.Harry F. Walters et al.
2
: overly optimistic and unrealistic thinking about the future
But this is all blue sky because … there is nothing remotely close to a commercial prototype.Gregg Easterbrook

Examples of blue-sky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Mountains rim blue-sky horizons, and scrub brush scattered across the rocky desert hills sustain mule deer, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025 The interview didn’t dwell on policy, instead allowing Ovitz to blue-sky about the potential of technology. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink batch lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday, at 10:19 p.m. EST (1519 GMT), against the sunny, blue sky of Florida's Space Coast. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 21 Feb. 2025 The series comes out of an emerging genre, known as ‘Nordic blue,’ which embraces families, friendship, humor and the power of love under the Nordic region’s blue skies, mountains, ice and seas. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blue-sky

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1957, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue-sky was in 1852

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Cite this Entry

“Blue-sky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue-sky. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Legal Definition

blue-sky

adjective
1
: having little or no value
blue-sky stock
2
: of or relating to blue-sky laws

More from Merriam-Webster on blue-sky

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