outgoing

1 of 2

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

outgoing

2 of 2

present participle of outgo entry 1

Synonyms of outgoing

Adjective

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

Examples of outgoing in a Sentence

Adjective

Outgoing mail goes in this box.

a salesman whose aggressively outgoing personality could sometimes be overbearing

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The National Rally of Independents, or RNI, part of the outgoing governing coalition, suffered major losses, winning 66 seats. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026

The multiyear partnership, the length and financials of which were not disclosed, reflects Adidas’ ongoing emphasis to push into women’s basketball, while outgoing outfitter Under Armour continues its retrenchment. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Assembly Bill 2337 was authored by outgoing lawmaker and former California highway patrolman Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

That’s what outgoing United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters at his last press conference ahead of this week’s General Assembly, which will bring hundreds of diplomats and world leaders to the UN’s New York headquarters. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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