ENGLISH
REFERENCE

be out of

phrasal verb.
A2 Elementary Oxford
Definition

phrasal verb. to have no more of something left because you have used it all.

phrasal verb. to have exhausted a supply of a specific commodity or resource; functions as a stative phrasal verb indicating a lack of availability.

SIMPLE

We are out of milk, so I need to go to the shop.

CONTEXTUAL

The printer is out of ink again, which is very annoying when I have a deadline.

COMPLEX

By the third day of the hike, the group was completely out of clean water and had to find a nearby stream.

  • have plenty of
  • be full of
  • stocked with
Particles
out of
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
be + out + of + object
Usage

usually followed by a noun representing the resource that is missing.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'run out of' (the process of using the supply) versus 'be out of' (the state of having none left).

Pitfall

We are out milk.We are out of milk.the preposition 'of' is necessary to connect the state to the specific item that is missing.

Last updated April 24, 2026