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

But Newcastle, like every Premier League club, must balance these decisions and one incoming or outgoing deal can have a significant effect upon their SCR position. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The rule would require states to provide the Postal Service with lists of mail-ballot recipients and place unique barcodes on outgoing and return envelopes. — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Paramount+’s Sebastian Cardwell, the outgoing Deputy Chief Content Officer for the UK, and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor for Paramount+ UK & Ireland, commissioned the show. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

Others were kind to themselves, acted more outgoing or pursued their own interests. — Paula Ferrada, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 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