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

Staff are genuinely friendly, outgoing, and happy to recommend their favorite haunts in town. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Apple turned in another solid earnings report overall for the June 2026 quarter, which marks the last earnings period for outgoing CEO Tim Cook. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 July 2026

But before the swirl of attention, there was a frantic search for a teen known in the community as an outgoing, charming athlete with infectiously positive energy who loved making people smile. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026

Tom often seeks former student-athletes who followed through on commitments, possess an outgoing personality and engage others confidently. — Corey McQuade, Forbes.com, 29 July 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