out
UUT
Out (adv) means Away from the inside, a home, or a central point. Example: “She's out at the moment — try calling back later.”
adv
1
Away from the inside, a home, or a central point.
"She's out at the moment — try calling back later."
"He took the trash out before leaving for work."
"The children are out playing in the garden."
2
No longer switched on, burning, or in operation.
"Make sure the fire is completely out before you leave the campsite."
"The lights went out just as we sat down to eat."
"The candles were out by the time we got back."
adj
1
No longer fashionable, current, or accepted.
"Skinny jeans are out this season, apparently."
"Wearing a tie to work is out these days."
"Bright orange wallpaper is definitely out now."
verb
1
To reveal something private about someone, especially their sexual orientation, without their consent.
"It is wrong to out a colleague against their wishes, whatever the reason."
"She was upset that a classmate had outed her to the whole school."
"He was outed by a tabloid before he was ready to tell his family."
noun
1
A way of escaping an awkward or difficult situation.
"The excuse gave her an out from the uncomfortable dinner."
"She was looking for an out when the meeting dragged on."
"The delay gave him a handy out from the plan."
How to use out
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAway from inside, off, unfashionable, or (as a verb) to expose someone's secret.
Common pairings
go out
find an out
out of style
out cold
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like out.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- outs
- Third person singular
- outs
- Past tense
- outed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She's _____ at the moment — try calling back later.
Etymology
From Old English ūt, from a very old Germanic root meaning "away, outward" — found in related forms across most Germanic languages.
Synonyms
View more →
outside
outdoors
forth
extinguished
absent
extinct
forbidden
prohibited
verboten
kayoed
proscribed
taboo
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for out
See all rhymes for out →Frequently asked questions
What does “out” mean?
The word “out” means away from the inside, a home, or a central point. In plain terms, away from inside, off, unfashionable, or (as a verb) to expose someone's secret.
How do you pronounce “out”?
“Out” is pronounced UUT (/ˈaʊ̯t/ in IPA).
How do you use “out” in a sentence?
Here is “out” used in a sentence: “She's out at the moment — try calling back later.”
What is another word for “out”?
Words with a similar meaning to “out” include away, passé and unchic.
What is the opposite of “out”?
The opposite of “out” — its antonyms — are in, safe, closeted and in the closet.
What part of speech is “out”?
Depending on how it is used, “out” can be an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “out” come from?
The word “out” comes from Old English. From Old English ūt, from a very old Germanic root meaning "away, outward" — found in related forms across most Germanic languages.
Is “out” a common word?
“Out” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between "out" and "outside"?
"Out" emphasises movement away from the inside or being away from home ("she's out," "he walked out"), while "outside" points to the specific area beyond a boundary ("wait outside the door"). "Outside" can act as a preposition directly before a noun, whereas "out" in careful usage normally needs "of": "out of the room".
Is it "out the window" or "out of the window"?
"Out of" is the traditional and fully standard form: "He looked out of the window." Dropping "of" — "out the window" — is very common in American English and increasingly accepted everywhere, though some formal styles still prefer "out of".
Why do we say a light or fire is "out"?
"Out" has a well-established sense of "no longer burning, switched on, or in operation," so a fire goes out and the lights are out during a power cut. The same sense appears in phrasal verbs like "put out" and "blow out".
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include out:
