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 outgoing Democratic governor is considering a run for president in 2028. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Bluhm’s gift honors the legacy of the museum’s outgoing director, Madeleine Grynstztejn, who established and headed the MCA’s Women Artists Initiative. — News Desk, Artforum, 8 Oct. 2026

That calculation is reason enough to grant commissioners a boost in pay, one outgoing commissioner said. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

While the number of school closures was down compared to Tuesday, pressure is mounting on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 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