What does "out" mean?

1. (away from the inside) moving away from the inside of a place or container. 2. (not at home or work) not in the place where you usually stay, like your home or office. 3. (available or public) available for people to see, buy, or use. 4. (no longer burning or working) not burning or not shining anymore. 5. (openly LGBTQ+) being honest and public about being gay, trans, or another LGBTQ+ identity. 6. (to reveal a secret) to tell people a secret about someone, especially that they are gay, without their permission. 7. (an excuse or escape) a way to avoid doing something or to escape a difficult situation. 8. (sports dismissal) a situation in a game like baseball where a player must stop playing for that turn. 9. (radio communication) a word used on a radio to say you have finished talking and do not expect an answer.

How do you use "out"?

usually follows the verb 'to be' transitive — requires a direct object

out — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01away from the inside

A1 · Beginner

adv. moving away from the inside of a place or container.

adv. indicating movement from the interior of a space or container to the exterior.

“She opened the cage and the bird flew out into the garden.”

“The crowd poured out of the stadium as soon as the final whistle blew, filling the narrow streets with noise.”

Synonyms

outside outward

Antonyms

in inside

02not at home or work

A1 · Beginner

adj. not in the place where you usually stay, like your home or office.

adj. not present in one's usual place of residence or business.

“I called her office, but her secretary said she was out for lunch.”

“The manager is currently out on a site visit and is not expected back until late tomorrow afternoon.”

Usage

usually follows the verb 'to be'

Synonyms

away absent

Antonyms

in present

03available or public

A2 · Elementary

adj. available for people to see, buy, or use.

adj. released to the public or visible in the environment.

“The new video game comes out next Tuesday.”

“The sun finally came out after three days of heavy rain and thick grey clouds.”

Synonyms

available released published

04no longer burning or working

A2 · Elementary

adj. not burning or not shining anymore.

adj. extinguished or no longer emitting light or heat.

“The campfire was out by the time we woke up the next morning.”

“The power went out across the entire city during the thunderstorm, leaving thousands of homes in total darkness.”

Synonyms

extinguished dark

Antonyms

on alight

05openly LGBTQ+

B1 · Intermediate

adj. being honest and public about being gay, trans, or another LGBTQ+ identity.

adj. open and public regarding one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

“He has been out to his family and friends since he was twenty.”

“The documentary explores the challenges faced by athletes who choose to be out in professional sports environments.”

Synonyms

open public

Antonyms

closeted

06to reveal a secret

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to tell people a secret about someone, especially that they are gay, without their permission.

v. to publicly reveal a secret about someone, particularly their sexual orientation, often without their consent.

“The newspaper was criticised for trying to out the politician.”

“The activist was accidentally outed by a former classmate in a social media post that quickly went viral.”

Usage

transitive — requires a direct object

Synonyms

expose reveal

Antonyms

hide conceal

07an excuse or escape

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a way to avoid doing something or to escape a difficult situation.

n. a means of exit, escape, or a convenient excuse to avoid an obligation.

“He was looking for an out so he wouldn't have to go to the party.”

“The contract was so poorly written that the company found an easy out when the project became too expensive.”

Synonyms

excuse escape loophole

08sports dismissal

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. a situation in a game like baseball where a player must stop playing for that turn.

n. a state in which a player is removed from play according to the rules of the game.

“The pitcher got the final out of the inning with a fast ball.”

“With two outs and the bases loaded, the pressure on the young batter was immense.”

Synonyms

dismissal

09radio communication

B2 · Upper Intermediate Military Technical

interj. a word used on a radio to say you have finished talking and do not expect an answer.

interj. a procedure word used in radio telecommunications to signal the end of a transmission.

“The captain said, 'We are heading home now. Out.'”

“The pilot confirmed the coordinates and ended the transmission with a crisp 'Over and out'.”

Teaching tip

Explain to students that 'Over' means 'I am finished but I expect you to reply', while 'Out' means 'I am finished and the conversation is over'.

Antonyms

over

From Middle English out, oute, from a combination of Old English ūt (“out”, preposition & adverb), from Proto-West Germanic ūt, from Proto-Germanic ūt (“out”); and Old English ūte (“outside; without”, adverb), from Proto-Germanic ūtai (“out; outside”); both from Proto-Indo-European úd (“upwards, away”). Cognates Cognate with Scots oot (“out”), Yola out, outh, udh, ut, uth (“out”), North Frisian üt, ütj (“out”), Saterland Frisian uut (“out of”), West Frisian út (“out”), Cimbrian aus, auz (“out, outwards”), Dutch uit (“out”), German, Luxembourgish aus (“out”), Yiddish אויס (oys, “over, finished”), Danish ud (“out; outside”), Icelandic út (“out”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish ut (“out”), Gothic 𐌿𐍄 (ut, “out of”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN