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out

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adverb, preposition American English pronunciation: out /aʊt/
Out can be used in the following ways:
as an adverb: We went out into the yard. ♦ He took out a penknife.
after the verb “to be”: You were out when I called. ♦ The house was silent and all the lights were out.
in the preposition phrase out of: I got out of bed and went downstairs. In American English and spoken British English out itself is commonly used as a preposition, but many British people consider that this use is not correct: I looked out the window.
 
  1. 1
    when you leave a place
    1. a.
      used for saying that someone leaves their home or place of work in order to visit someone, have a meal, buy something, etc.

      Dr. Hammond is out right now – can I take a message?

      take someone out:

      Why don’t you take Dad out for a drink?

      be/get out and about (=go to other places and meet people):

      Try to get out and about more – make new friends.

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    2. b.
      leaving a room or building

      She went out, slamming the door behind her.

      Frank was just coming out of the library.

      I followed him out the door and down the stairs.

      “Get out!” she screamed. “Get out of my house.”

    3. c.
      away from an area, town, or country

      Follow the main road out of Newport.

      I’ll be out of town for a couple of weeks.

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    4. d.
      not in prison anymore

      a convicted murderer who will be out again in seven or eight years’ time

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  2. 2
    outside
    1. a.
      not inside a building

      The children are out in the back yard.

      Is it cold out?

      out there:

      I was standing out there in the rain.

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    2. b.
      from inside a building or vehicle toward something outside

      I stood by the window, staring out into the darkness.

      He stopped the car, leaned out, and called to me.

  3. 3
    when something is removed from where it was
    1. a.
      from inside a container, hole, or space

      He opened the drawer and took out a large brown envelope.

      Take that chewing gum out of your mouth.

    2. b.
      used for saying that something is removed from a place where it was attached

      When I opened the book, I saw that several pages had been torn out.

      I had a tooth out this morning.

      You’ll have to take the four screws out, then you can remove the cover.

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    3. c.
      used for stating where money is taken from
      out of:

      The money will all come out of my personal bank account.

      One employer had taken $100,000 out of his company’s pension fund.

  4. 4
    far away
    1. a.
      used for saying that someone or something is in another place far away, especially toward the west

      Her son’s gone out to California.

      way out:

      a little town way out on the prairie

      out there:

      I wonder if there’s life out there on another planet somewhere.

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    2. b.
      used for saying how far away from a place something is

      The airport is just four miles out of the city.

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    3. c.
      used for saying how far away from the coast a boat is

      a yacht drifting helplessly 200 miles out in the Atlantic

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  5. 5
    when someone/something is removed
    1. a.
      used for saying that a mark is removed from the surface of something

      Notes in pencil had been rubbed out.

      Ink stains will come out if you rub them with vinegar and salt.

    2. b.
      used for saying that something that you do not want is gotten rid of

      Have you thrown out yesterday’s paper?

      We need to root out racism in the police and army.

    3. c.
      used for saying that someone is forced to leave a group, organization, or job

      Frederick was kicked out of the military in 1998.

      The union threw out 26 members who refused to join the strike.

  6. 6
    used for saying that a book or video is not in a library or video store because someone has borrowed it

    We do have the book you asked for, but it’s out at the moment.

  7. 7
    used for saying that a new product, book, record, etc. is available for people to buy

    It was back in November when the album came out.

    In his latest book, out today, he tells of his experiences in the civil war.

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  8. 8
    used for saying that someone is not in a bad situation anymore
    out of trouble/danger/mischief etc.:

    Parents will be relieved that their children are out of danger.

    Stacey will be allowed to go free on condition that he stays out of trouble for a year.

    a way out (=a way of escaping from a bad situation):

    We are facing a major crisis and there is no easy way out.

  9. 9
    used for saying that someone is unconscious or is made unconscious

    Arthur had hit his head on a beam and knocked himself out.

    I must have been out for five minutes before I recovered consciousness.

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  10. 10
    used for saying that something is not fashionable anymore

    Nylon shirts went out years ago.

    This year pink is definitely out.

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  11. 11
    used for saying that someone is not allowed to continue taking part in a competition or series of games, especially because they have been defeated

    If we don’t win today, we’ll be out of the championships.

    Australia was knocked out when England scored a last-minute goal in the quarter final of the tournament.

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  12. 12
    not burning, or not shining
    1. a.
      no longer burning

      No wonder it’s cold in here – you let the fire go out.

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    2. b.
      used for saying that lights have been switched off

      The children were in bed and the lights were out.

  13. 13
    informal if a particular idea, suggestion, or activity is out, it is not possible or it cannot be accepted

    I’ve hurt my back, so gardening is out as far as I’m concerned.

    Anything that costs more than $3,000 is out.

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  14. 14
    with none of something left
    out of:

    We’re out of toilet paper.

    run out of something (=use all of something so that there is none left):

    a driver who had run out of gas

    I’m running out of ideas – can you suggest anything?

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  15. 15
    used for saying that a sound or voice is loud and clear

    Church bells rang out across the land.

    Someone called out to me from an upstairs window.

    out loud:

    Don’t whisper, say it out loud so we can all hear.

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  16. 16
    able to be seen
    1. a.
      if the sun or moon is out, it is not behind clouds

      The rain stopped and the sun came out.

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    2. b.
      if flowers are out, they have opened

      on a spring evening when the tulips are out

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  17. 17
    if the tide is out, the ocean is at a lower level

    Now that the tide was out, we could walk across the sands.

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  18. 18
    if information is out, it becomes publicly known

    At last her secret was out and, of course, there would be a scandal.

    The exam results aren’t out yet.

    So the news has leaked out already, has it?

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  21. 21
    used for saying that you give or send things to a number of different people

    Have you sent out the invitations yet?

  23. 23
    used for saying that a political party or leader no longer controls the government of a country

    Many people voted Republican just to keep the Democrats out.

    secret efforts to force the President out of power

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  25. 25
    British used for saying that a number, calculation, or measurement is not correct

    Their calculations were out by about two million pounds.

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phrases

This is the American English definition of out. View British English definition of out.

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