Be a fish out of water Neutral

To feel uncomfortable, awkward or out of place in an unfamiliar environment or social situation.

The simile depends on a basic observation of animal life: a fish removed from water cannot function normally in its natural way and struggles to survive. English writers have used fish-out-of-water comparisons for centuries to describe people taken away from familiar surroundings or occupations. The image is especially vivid because the animal’s difficulty is immediately visible. In modern speech the stakes are usually much lower than literal survival: a newcomer at a formal dinner, an introvert at a party or an expert in an unfamiliar field may feel like a fish out of water. The phrase emphasizes mismatch with the environment rather than personal inadequacy. Similar fish images appear in many languages, sometimes independently and sometimes through long-standing literary contact.

At the networking event, I felt like a fish out of water.

He was a fish out of water in his first week at university.

Without her usual team, she felt like a fish out of water.