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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

out.

Away from the inside or centre.

3 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adv/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. Away from the inside or centre.

    not-comparable
    The magician tapped the hat, and a rabbit jumped out.
    There was a hole in the bucket, and all the water leaked out.
  2. Away from, or at a distance from, some point of reference or focus.

    not-comparable
    Once they had landed, the commandos quickly spread out along the beach.
    For six hours the tide flows out, then for six hours it flows in.
  3. Away from, or at a distance from, some point of reference or focus. Specifically, away from home or one's usual place.

    not-comparable
    Let’s eat out tonight
  4. Away from, or at a distance from, some point of reference or focus. Away from the doer, especially vigorously.

    not-comparable
    hit out, lash out, speak out, shout out, yell out
  5. Away, or at a distance, in time (relative to, and usually before, a stated event, or into the future) (often preceded by a stated time period and followed by "from" or "to")

    informal · not-comparable
    Five weeks out from the passage of the law, something has to change.
    The election is a long way out.
  6. Outside; not indoors.

    not-comparable
    Last night we slept out under the stars.
    It's cold out.
  7. Of the ball or other playing implement, so as to pass or be situated beyond the bounds of the playing area.

    not-comparable
    The football caught the edge of the line but then bounced out.
  8. Into a state of non-operation or non-existence.

    not-comparable
    Turn the lights out.
    Put the fire out.
  9. To the end; completely; so that nothing remains.

    not-comparable
    I haven’t finished. Hear me out.
    Sorry love, we've got no bananas. We've sold out.
  10. To the end; completely; so that nothing remains. Shows that an activity has been completed to the point of exhaustion.

    not-comparable
    After hours at the party, she was all danced out.
  11. Used to intensify or emphasize.

    not-comparable
    The place was all decked out for the holidays.
  12. Into a state of existence or visibility.

    not-comparable
    The singer is bringing out a new album next month.
    The sun has brought the flowers out.
  13. Into a state of existence or visibility. So as to be visible in the sky, and not covered by clouds, fog, etc.

    not-comparable · usually
    The sun came out after the rain, and we saw a rainbow.
  14. So as to be disqualified from playing further by some action of a member of the opposing team (such as being stumped in cricket or a forced out in baseball).

    not-comparable
    Wilson was bowled out for five runs.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

prep/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. From the inside to the outside of; out of.

    informal · proscribed · sometimes
    throw it out the window; get it out your mind
    We are gonna get evicted. —If your fat butt fits out the door, that is.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

noun/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. A means of exit, escape, reprieve, etc.

    They wrote the law to give those organizations an out.
    What's my out if things go wrong?
  2. A state in which a member of the batting team is removed from play due to the application of various rules of the game such as striking out, hitting a fly ball which is caught by the fielding team before bouncing, etc.

  3. A dismissal; a state in which a member of the batting team finishes his turn at bat, due to the application of various rules of the game, such as the bowler knocking over the batsman's wicket with the ball.

  4. A card which can make a hand a winner.

  5. A trip out; an outing.

    dated
  6. One who, or that which, is out; especially, one who is out of office.

    in-plural
  7. A place or space outside of something; a nook or corner; an angle projecting outward; an open space.

  8. A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission.

    dated
  9. An outtake.

    colloquial
  10. A dram glass.

    obsolete
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

verb/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. To eject; to expel.

    transitive
  2. To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public, revealed, or apparent.

    intransitive
  3. To reveal (a person or organization) as having a certain secret, such as a being a secret agent or undercover detective.

    transitive
  4. To reveal (a secret).

    transitive
    A Brazilian company outed the new mobile phone design.
  5. To reveal (a person) as LGBTQ+ (gay, trans, etc.).

    transitive
  6. To kill; to snuff out.

Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

adj/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. Not inside or within a place, especially a place that someone or something was formerly inside or is customarily inside

    not-comparable
    I worked away cleaning the U-bend until all the gunge was out.
    This building is unsafe. Keep out!
  2. Not inside or within a place, especially a place that someone or something was formerly inside or is customarily inside: Not at home, or not at one's office or place of employment.

    not-comparable
    I'm sorry, Mr Smith is out at the moment.
  3. Not inside or within a place, especially a place that someone or something was formerly inside or is customarily inside: Not in jail, prison, or captivity; freed from confinement.

    not-comparable
    Sentenced to five years, he could be out in three with good behavior.
  4. Not inside or within a place, especially a place that someone or something was formerly inside or is customarily inside: Not fitted or inserted into something.

    not-comparable
    The TV won't work with the plug out!
  5. Not inside or within a place, especially a place that someone or something was formerly inside or is customarily inside: Falling or passing or being situated beyond the bounds of the playing area.

    not-comparable
    I thought the ball hit the line, but the umpire said it was out.
  6. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Dismissed from play under the rules of the game.

    not-comparable
    He bowls, Johnson pokes at it ... and ... Johnson is out! Caught behind by Ponsonby!
  7. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Discarded; no longer a possibility.

    not-comparable · usually
    Right, so that idea's out. Let's move on to the next one.
  8. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: No longer acceptable or permissible.

    not-comparable
    I've got diabetes, so cookies are right out.
  9. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Not available; out of service.

    not-comparable
    Power is out in the entire city.
    My wi-fi is out.
  10. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Not having availability of a service, such as power or communications.

    not-comparable
    Most of the city got service back yesterday, but my neighborhood is still out.
  11. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Not shining or burning.

    not-comparable
    I called round to the house but all the lights were out and no one was home.
  12. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Temporarily not in operation, or not being attended as usual.

    not-comparable · usually
    School is out tomorrow due to snow. When college is out for the summer, I'll head back to my home state.
    when school gets out today After school's out, I go to the library until my mom gets off work.
  13. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: Unconscious, either because asleep or because otherwise knocked out.

    not-comparable
    out like a light
    I had a whack on the head and was out for a few seconds.
  14. Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation: No longer popular or in fashion.

    not-comparable
    Black is out this season. The new black is white.
  15. Open or public (about something). Openly acknowledging that one is LGBT+ (gay, trans, etc).

    not-comparable
    It's no big deal to be out in the entertainment business.
    I'm not out to my parents.
  16. Open or public (about something). Open, public; public about or openly acknowledging some (usually specified) identity.

    broadly · not-comparable · uncommon
  17. Freed from secrecy.

    not-comparable
    My secret is out.
  18. Available to be seen, or to be interacted with in some way: Released, available for purchase, download or other use.

    not-comparable
    Did you hear? Their newest CD is out!
  19. Available to be seen, or to be interacted with in some way: In bloom.

    not-comparable
    The garden looks beautiful now that the roses are out.
  20. Available to be seen, or to be interacted with in some way: Visible in the sky; not obscured by clouds.

    not-comparable
    The sun is out, and it's a lovely day.
  21. Available to be seen, or to be interacted with in some way: Of a young lady: having entered society and available to be courted.

    not-comparable · obsolete
  22. At or near its lowest level.

    not-comparable
    You can walk to the island when the tide's out.
  23. Without; no longer in possession of; not having any more.

    not-comparable
    Do you have any bread? Sorry, we're out.
  24. Containing errors or discrepancies, or in error by a stated amount.

    Australia · UK · not-comparable
    Nothing adds up in this report. All these figures are out.
    The measurement was out by three millimetres.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

intj/ˈäʊ̯t/Received-Pronunciation/ˈawt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈuːt/Northumbria/ˈʌʉt/Scotland
  1. A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and does not expect a response.

    especially
    Destruction. Two T-72s destroyed. Three foot mobiles down. Out.
  2. A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and does not expect a response. Used as a brusque or dramatic farewell

    especially · humorous · slang
    Welp, I got nothing else to say. Mikey out.
  3. Get out; begone; away!

Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out 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 and 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”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.