# be out of

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/be-out-of
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

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

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

## Examples

- We are out of milk, so I need to go to the shop.
- The printer is out of ink again, which is very annoying when I have a deadline.
- By the third day of the hike, the group was completely out of clean water and had to find a nearby stream.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We are out milk." but "We are out of milk." — the preposition 'of' is necessary to connect the state to the specific item that is missing.

## Usage notes

- 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).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.