out

1 of 6

adverb

ˈau̇t 

1

a(1)

: in a direction away from the inside or center

went out into the garden

(2)

: outside

it's raining out

b

: from among others

c

: away from the shore

d

: away from home or work

out to lunch

e

: away from a particular place

2

a

: so as to be missing or displaced from the usual or proper place

left a word out

threw his shoulder out

b

: into the possession or control of another

lend out money

c

: into a state of loss or defeat

was voted out

d

: into a state of vexation

they do not mark me, and that brings me out

—William Shakespeare

e

: into groups or shares

sorted out her notes

parceled out the farm

3

a

: to the point of depletion, extinction, or exhaustion

the food ran out

turn the light out

all tuckered out

b

: to completion or satisfaction

hear me out

work the problem out

c

: to the full or a great extent or degree

all decked out

stretched out on the floor

4

a

: in or into the open

the sun came out

b

: out loud

cried out

c

: in or into public circulation

the evening paper isn't out yet

hand out pamphlets

the library book is still out

5

a

: at an end

before the day is out

b

: in or into an insensible or unconscious state

she was out cold

c

: in or into a useless state

landed the plane with one engine out

d

: so as to end the offensive turn of another player, a side, or oneself in baseball

threw him out

fly out

6

—used on a two-way radio circuit to indicate that a message is complete and no reply is expected

out

2 of 6

verb

outed; outing; outs

1

transitive : to identify (someone) publicly as being such secretly

Ever feel as if your achievements are a fluke or that you're one conversation away from being outed as a fraud?

—Gillian Fox

Foster … was the man who outed the journalist Joe Klein as the author of the novel "Primary Colors."

—Walter Kirn

especially : to reveal the covert sexual orientation or gender identity of (someone)

outed her to her coworkers

In our case, a cross-section of writers and editors—male and female, gay and straight—agreed that it would be inappropriate to "out" this Pentagon official.

—Richard Goldstein

2

intransitive : to become publicly known

the truth will out

Murder will out.

3

transitive : to put out : to eject (someone) from a place, office, or possession : expel

During the suppression, we privately kept outed vicars as chaplains and attended secret Anglican services …

—Rose Macaulay

out

3 of 6

preposition

—used as a function word to indicate an outward movement

ran out the door

looked out the window

out

4 of 6

adjective

1

a

: situated outside : external

b

: out-of-bounds

2

: situated at a distance : outlying

the out islands

3

: not being in power

4

: absent

5

: removed by the defense from play as a batter or base runner in a baseball inning

two men out

6

: directed outward or serving to direct something outward

the out basket

7

: not being in vogue or fashion

8

: not to be considered : out of the question

9

: determined sense 1

was out to get revenge

10

: engaged in or attempting a particular activity

won on his first time out

11

: having one's LGBTQ sexual orientation or gender identity publicly known

an out trans person

wasn't out during college

out

5 of 6

noun

1

: outside

2

: one who is out of office or power or on the outside

a matter of outs versus ins

3

a

: an act or instance of putting a player out or of being put out in baseball

b

: a player that is put out

4

: a way of escaping from an embarrassing or difficult situation

out-

6 of 6

prefix

: in a manner that exceeds or surpasses and sometimes overpowers or defeats

outmaneuver

Phrases

on the outs

: on unfriendly terms : at variance

Synonyms

Adverb

• alfresco
• outdoors
• outside

Verb

• break
• circulate
• come out
• get about
• get around
• get out
• get round
• leak (out)
• spread

Adjective

• bent (on or upon)
• bound
• decisive
• determined
• do-or-die
• firm
• hell-bent (on or upon)
• intent
• purposeful
• resolute
• resolved
• set
• single-minded

Noun

• avoidance
• cop-out
• dodging
• ducking
• eluding
• elusion
• escape
• eschewal
• eschewing
• evasion
• shaking
• shunning

Examples of out in a Sentence

Adverb

He went out to the garden.

He looked out at the snow.

She poured the tea out.

The girl stuck her tongue out.

His shirttail was hanging out.

I heard a noise in the bushes and out jumped a cat!

He waited out in the hall.

I cleaned my car inside and out.

A car pulled up and two men got out.

He grabbed his coat and out he went.

Verb

a gay actor who was outed in a magazine article

He is threatening to out other players who have used steroids.

Adjective

he's out to get even with the guy who beat him last time around

half the staff is out with the flu

Noun

The play resulted in an out.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, he hit a home run to win the game.

He changed the wording of the contract to give himself an out.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

There's incredibly problematic science fiction out there, especially some of the older stuff. —ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025

And although there was plenty of late speculation that the Bills could entertain drafting a safety in the first round, the simple fact is the Bills believe more in the starting duo of Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop than the external opinions out there. —Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

Verb

The Gators and Clayton somehow overcame Houston’s lock-down intensity Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller decided when the Florida senior’s own defense stopped the Cougars from even taking a winning shot at the buzzer. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025

The Gators and Clayton somehow overcame Houston’s lockdown intensity, along with a 12-point deficit Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller decided when the Florida senior’s own D stopped the Cougars from even taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer. —Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2025

Preposition

Jopling is a hitman with skull rings and a sadistic streak who does all sorts of dirty work, including engaging in some light decapitation and throwing a cat out the window before meeting an amusing end off a snowy cliff. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025

Witnesses said officers initially entered through a window, sending panicked partiers out the front door and into the hands of waiting agents outside. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Ironically, without Geneviève and her encouragement of Jack over the course of the season, Jack likely never would have made such an out-of-the-box decision. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025

After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your garage total purchase price came to: $129,842. —Tony Leopardo, Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2025

Noun

Raleigh’s towering solo homer to right with two outs in the bottom of the first evened the score at 1-1 and tied him with Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez for the major league lead. —Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2025

Facing right-hander Jake Irvin, the Mets had runners on first and second with no outs when Winker smoked a line drive to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Prefix

Middle English, from Old English ūt; akin to Old High German ūz out, Greek hysteros later, Sanskrit ud up, out

First Known Use

Adverb

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

Verb

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

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for out

• bout
• clout
• doubt
• drought
• flout
• gout
• grout
• kraut
• lout
• pout
• rout
• scout

Kids Definition

out

1 of 6 adverb

ˈau̇t 

1

a

: in a direction away from the inside, center, or surface

look out of a window

b

: outdoors entry 1

it's raining out

c

: out-of-bounds

2

: from among others

picked out a hat

3

: away from home, business, or the usual or proper place

out to lunch

left a word out

4

: into a state of loss or defeat

was voted out of office

5

: into the possession or control of another

lent out money

6

: into groups or shares

sorted out her notes

7

a

: so as to be exhausted, completed, or discontinued

the food ran out

the light burned out

b

: at an end

before the week is out

8

a

: in or into the open

the sun came out

b

: aloud

cried out

9

a

: to completion or satisfaction

work the problem out

b

: to the full or a great extent or degree

stretched out on the floor

all decked out

10

: so as to put out or be put out in baseball

the catcher threw the runner out

grounded out to shortstop

out

2 of 6 verb

: to become known

the truth will out

out

3 of 6 preposition

(ˌ)au̇t

—used to indicate an outward movement

ran out the door

looked out the window

out

4 of 6 adjective

ˈau̇t

1

a

: located outside or at a distance

the out islands

b

: out-of-bounds

2

: not being in power

the out party

3

: not allowed to continue batting, to occupy a base, or to score in baseball

the runner was out

4

: directed outward or directing something outward

put the letter in the out basket

5

: absent entry 1 sense 1, missing

a basket with its bottom out

6

: no longer in fashion

that style of pants is definitely out

7

: not to be considered

that choice was out as far as we were concerned

8

: determined sense 1

was out to get revenge

9

: engaged in or attempting a particular activity

won on his first time out

out

5 of 6 noun

ˈau̇t

1

: one who is out of power

2

a

: the putting out of a batter or base runner in baseball

b

: a player who has been put out

3

: a way of escaping from an embarrassing situation or a difficulty

out-

6 of 6 prefix

: in a manner that goes beyond

outmaneuver

Etymology

Prefix

derived from out (adverb)