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

But the numbers also say as the NBA postseason begins not to count out the Celtics, who are just two years removed from winning their record 18th championship. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

But as his latest masterpiece against the guy just below him on this list shows, Jokić should never be counted out of any MVP race. —Joe Vardon, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026

Areas to Visit Kingstown Visitors tend to breeze through Kingstown, but don't be so quick to count out the country's capital. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2026

That counted out to 258 for Giblin and 257 for Sterling. —Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 8 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