out of pocket

Adverb

out of pocket (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Lacking funds, or suffering a financial loss; broke.
   • After three races he was £10 out of pocket.
   • A local doctor had bought one canvas and but for that lucky chance he would have been out of pocket.1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 17
2. (idiomatic) Not available; unable to be reached.
   • Like a coward, he called his agent's work number and left a voicemail that he'd be out of pocket for several days but would try to check his messages here and there.2006, Lauren Dane, Sudden Desire, page 20
   • Sir, Senders is still in Yosemite camping with his family. He'll be out of pocket until tomorrow night.2011, Boyd Morrison, chapter 4, in The Catalyst
3. (idiomatic) Wild or inappropriate; unexpected.

Adjective

out of pocket (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to the spending of cash rather than using credit.
   • I had lots of out-of-pocket expenses.
2. (slang) Shocking and unexpected or inappropriate.
   • A thread of the most hilarious outta pocket tweets. Feel free to add on2020 April 14, Chris (@notchr15), Twitter

Prepositional phrase

1. Synonym of out of one's own pocket.
   • pay out of pocket for medication
   • Over a decade ago I came out as a transgender woman and began to navigate my transition. That’s when I was confronted by the harsh fact that transition-related healthcare was often not covered by insurance and instead largely paid for out of pocket.2015 September 16, Andy Marra, “Many trans people still are denied healthcare because of their identity”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   out of one's own pocket