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

In contrast, outgoing chief Jennings has remained out of public eye in recent months as the city has grappled with these discussions. —Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 31 Oct. 2025

Bales, who has served several terms on the IFTA Board since 2015, succeeds outgoing Chair Clay Epstein (Film Mode Entertainment) who served two consecutive two-year terms. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025

Since then, the airport has been boarded up and all outgoing flights canceled, leaving many tourists stranded as the hurricane bears down, the station added. —Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

The outgoing mayor worked part time and made $50,000 a year in 2024, according to a salary database published by the Statesman. —Idaho Statesman, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for outgoing

• bestowing
• churchgoing
• elbowing
• fallowing
• farrowing
• foregoing
• forgoing
• ongoing
• outflowing
• outgrowing
• seagoing
• tiptoeing

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