count out

verb

counted out; counting out; counts out

transitive verb

1

: to not include (someone) in an activity

If you are looking for people to help you clean the house today, count me out.

2

: to decide that (someone or something) cannot win or succeed

Don't count out our team just yet. They could still win.

3

: to count (a certain number of items to be separated from a quantity one is holding)

He counted out ten tickets and handed them to her.

4

: to signal the knockout of (a boxer who is down) by completing an audible count of 10 seconds before the boxer rises

Examples of count out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So don’t count out seeing Lewber back on your screen in the future. —Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 13 May 2026

Insider tip Don’t count out tennis just because the island is known for its high temperatures. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026

One former department official cautioned us against counting out Miller or predicting a long-term loss of influence on immigration policy. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026

Kids can pour and stir the salts, count out drops of essential oil and help spoon the mixture into small glass jars. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for count out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout