"to be up in the air" / "to still be up in the air"

Meaning: to be undecided, undetermined, unsettled, or uncertain at the moment

Similar Expressions

• The future of the project is still up in the air.
• The future of the project is still undecided.
• The future of the project is still undetermined.
• The future of the project hasn't been decided yet.

When do we use it?

We use this expression when a decision has not been made yet. So, we usually use this when we are waiting for a decision to be made. Think of it like when we flip a coin in the air to decide something. While we wait for the coin to land and decide something, the coin is up in the air.

How do we use it?

We use this expression after a "be verb" and it is commonly used with the word "still".

• It is up in the air.
• It is still up in the air.
• Our trip is still up in the air. We might cancel it.

We can make a longer sentence by adding "about whether…or…".

• It is still up in the air about whether we will accept their offer or reject it.
• It is up in the air about whether the president will sign the law or veto it.

Example English Conversations

A) Are you going to India on business next week?
B) I'm not sure. It is still up in the air.
A) Why is that?
B) We are still negotiating. If we can't come to a basic understanding with the other company, then we will cancel the trip.

A) Have they made a decision about what to do?
B) No. It is still up in the air. They will decide by the end of the week.

If you want to be great at speaking English, then you need to know a lot of English expressions, idioms, and slang. Studying with these free English lessons can help you do that. Study a few of these free English lessons each week and learn the expressions perfectly. If you do this consistently, then you will be amazed at how much your English vocabulary improves. You will be having fluent English conversations before you know it!