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

Considering the feds are currently investigating outgoing owner Mark Walters’ business empire for fraud, let’s hope Kushner and Iger asked for a clean title. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

The crimson color stems from that outgoing light being reddened by the overlying layers of gas, much as sunlight scattering through Earth’s atmosphere can tint a sunset red. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Pelosi’s conversation with Politico also touched on how the outgoing lawmaker sees the Democrats’ 2028 roster. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026

The city’s outgoing mayor, Muriel Bowser, avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders, despite the unprecedented intervention into her city. — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 10 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