outgoing

adjective

out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ 

-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ

1

a

: going away : departing

an outgoing ship

b

: retiring or withdrawing from a place or position

the outgoing president

c

: directed to an intended recipient

outgoing mail

2

: openly friendly and responsive : extroverted

His outgoing personality made him popular at school.

outgoingness noun

Synonyms of outgoing

• social
• friendly
• hospitable
• extroverted
• gregarious
• spirited

Examples of outgoing in a Sentence

Outgoing mail goes in this box.

a salesman whose aggressively outgoing personality could sometimes be overbearing

Recent Examples on the Web

The outgoing board members Thursday approved operating funding estimates for the CTA, Metra and Pace through 2029. — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Alejandro Garnacho moved in the opposite direction to Rogers, joining from Chelsea, while Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid will replace the outgoing Lucas Digne at left-back. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

At one point, outgoing Congresswoman Frederica Wilson penned a pointed op-ed in the Miami Times explaining the importance of Black representation in the district. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Zookeepers report that Pike is outgoing, curious and interested in their activities, while Marlin is more independent. — Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outgoing

• blowing
• boing
• bowing
• crowing
• flowing
• glowing
• going
• growing
• hoeing
• knowing
• lowing
• rowing

Kids Definition

outgoing

adjective

out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ 

1

a

: going out : departing

outgoing tide

b

: retiring from a position

the outgoing governor

2

: being at ease and friendly when dealing with others

an outgoing person