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

Izabella, who also goes by Izzy, is a wonderful girl with an inquisitive, outgoing, and confident personality. —Mare Staff, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

Follow the market’s Instagram account to learn about the incoming Syrian chef following an outgoing Persian counterpart, and to learn about collaborative dinners, like the one happening Monday featuring Martinez, Previte and Indigenous food activist and cookbook author Sean Sherman. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026

Due to the blockage, incoming and outgoing ships were at a standstill early Friday. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026

Lopez, who has served on City Council since 2018, will follow outgoing Mayor Bill Baird, who is wrapping up his second term in the office. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026

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