Definition

1. Adverb:

   • Away from the inside or center; moving or appearing to move away from a place: Indicates movement from an enclosed, hidden, or interior space to an exterior or more visible one.
   • Not at home or at one's place of work; absent: Indicates that someone is not present in a particular location.
   • No longer burning, shining, or functioning: Describes something, like a light or fire, that has been extinguished or turned off.
   • To the end; completely; thoroughly: Indicates that an action is performed fully or to completion.
   • Aloud; loudly: Describes speaking or making a sound in a way that can be clearly heard.
   • Into a state of unconsciousness: Describes being knocked unconscious.
   • In baseball and similar games, no longer batting or having the right to run because of a play by the opposing team: Describes the status of a batter or runner.

2. Adjective:

   • Not in fashion; no longer popular or stylish: Describes something that is currently unfashionable.
   • Not in power or office: Describes a political party or person who has lost an election or position.
   • Not possible or acceptable; not to be considered: Describes an idea or plan that is not viable.
   • Made public; revealed: Often used to describe a secret, especially about someone's identity, that has been disclosed.
   • Located outside; external: Describes something situated on the outer part.
   • Not allowed to continue batting or running (in baseball): Describes a player's status during a game.

3. Preposition:

   • Out of: (Note: "Out" is rarely used alone as a preposition in modern English; it is almost always part of the compound preposition "out of.") It indicates movement from within something to the outside, origin, cause, material, lack, or selection from a group.

4. Verb:

   • To become known; to be revealed: Used, often in a literary or formal context, to mean that a secret or truth is disclosed.
   • To reveal the secret, often homosexual, identity of (someone): To publicly disclose someone's private identity, especially their sexual orientation, without their consent.

5. Noun:

   • (In baseball) A play that results in a batter or runner being removed from play: A fundamental unit of the game, with three outs required to end a team's turn at bat.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:

  • She walked out of the room. (She moved from inside the room to outside it.)
  • The manager is out for lunch. (The manager is not in the office; they are absent.)
  • Please turn the lights out. (Please switch the lights off so they are no longer shining.)
  • He read the letter out to the class. (He read the letter aloud so everyone could hear.)
  • The boxer was knocked out in the first round. (The boxer was rendered unconscious.)

• Adjective:

  • Bell-bottom pants are out this season. (Bell-bottom pants are not fashionable currently.)
  • The incumbent party is out after the election. (The party that was in power lost the election.)
  • A beach day is out because of the storm. (A beach day is not a possible or acceptable plan due to the weather.)
  • The secret is out. (The secret has been revealed and is now public knowledge.)
  • The runner was called out at home plate. (The umpire ruled that the runner did not reach home plate safely and is removed from the basepath.)

• Preposition (as part of "out of"):

  • He jumped out of the window. (He moved from inside to outside through the window.)
  • She did it out of kindness. (Her reason or motive for doing it was kindness.)
  • The statue was carved out of marble. (The material used to make the statue was marble.)
  • We are out of milk. (We have no milk left; we lack milk.)

• Verb:

  • The truth will out. (The truth will eventually become known.)
  • The newspaper outed the corrupt official. (The newspaper revealed the official's corrupt activities publicly.)

• Noun:

  • The pitcher recorded two quick outs. (The pitcher caused two batters to be put out.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be out for": To be determined to get or achieve something.

  • He's out for revenge. (He is determined to get revenge.)

• "To be out to": To intend to do something, often something challenging or negative.

  • That company is out to dominate the market. (That company intends to dominate the market.)

• "Out and about": Active and going to different places, especially after an illness.

  • She's recovered and is out and about again. (She is no longer confined and is active outside her home.)

Variants and Related Words

• Outer (adj): Located on the outside; external.
  • The outer layer of the skin.
• Outing (n): 1. A short trip or excursion. 2. The act of revealing someone's secret identity.
  • We went on a family outing to the zoo.
  • The outing of the spy caused an international scandal.
• Outward (adj/adv): Directed towards the outside; on the outside.
  • An outward journey. (adj)
  • The door opens outward. (adv)

Synonyms

• Outside (adv/adj/prep/n): The external side or part.
• Away (adv): To or at a distance from a particular place, person, or thing.
• Revealed (adj): Made known; no longer secret.
• Extinct (adj): (For a fire or light) no longer burning or active.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Come out: 1. To appear or become visible. 2. To be published or released. 3. To publicly declare one's homosexuality.
  • The sun came out from behind the clouds.
  • The new album comes out next week.
• Find out: To discover a fact or piece of information.
  • I need to find out what time the meeting starts.
• Run out: To use up or exhaust a supply of something.
  • We've run out of coffee.
• Turn out: 1. To switch off (a light). 2. To result in a particular way. 3. To attend an event.
  • Turn out the lights when you leave.
  • How did the experiment turn out?
  • A large crowd turned out for the parade.

Related Idioms

• Out of the blue: Happening suddenly and unexpectedly.
  • The job offer came out of the blue.
• Out of order: 1. Not working properly. 2. Not following correct parliamentary procedure.
  • The elevator is out of order.
  • The councilor was ruled out of order by the chair.
• Out of sight, out of mind: Said to emphasize that when something or someone is not seen, they are soon forgotten.
• Out on a limb: In a risky or vulnerable position.
  • By criticizing the boss, he really went out on a limb.

Noun

1. (baseball) a failure by a batter or runner to reach a base safely in baseball
   • you only get 3 outs per inning

Verb

1. be made known; be disclosed or revealed
   • The truth will out
2. reveal (something) about somebody's identity or lifestyle
   • The gay actor was outed last week
   • Someone outed a CIA agent
3. to state openly and publicly one's homosexuality
   • This actor outed last year

Adjective

1. knocked unconscious by a heavy blow
2. outer or outlying
   • the out islands
3. outside or external
   • the out surface of a ship's hull
4. no longer fashionable
   • that style is out these days
5. directed outward or serving to direct something outward
   • the out doorway
   • the out basket
6. excluded from use or mention
   • forbidden fruit
   • in our house dancing and playing cards were out
   • a taboo subject
7. out of power; especially having been unsuccessful in an election
   • now the Democrats are out
8. not worth considering as a possibility
   • a picnic is out because of the weather
9. being out or having grown cold
   • threw his extinct cigarette into the stream
   • the fire is out
10. not allowed to continue to bat or run
    • he was tagged out at second on a close play
    • he fanned out

Adverb

1. from one's possession
   • he gave out money to the poor
   • gave away the tickets
2. moving or appearing to move away from a place, especially one that is enclosed or hidden;
   • the cat came out from under the bed
3. away from home
   • they went out last night