go out

Short definition: The phrase go out means to leave home for social activities, entertainment, or errands, or to stop burning or shining, depending on context, often describing movement outward or the end of light or flame.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb go out? This expression is extremely common in everyday English and it can refer to several different situations. People use it when talking about leaving the house for social activities, dating someone, lights or fires stopping, or spending time outside with friends. Because it appears in casual conversations, entertainment contexts, and even technical situations, the exact meaning depends on how it is used. In many cases, the phrase simply suggests movement from inside to outside or participation in social life. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how go out works in everyday English.

go out v. /ˌɡoʊ ˈaʊt/

Forms: go out, goes out, went out, gone out, going out
Related: leave v., socialize v., date v., extinguish v.
Syllable: go-out

  1. (Verb) To leave home or a place in order to spend time outside or in public.

    To go out most commonly means leaving your home or current place to spend time somewhere else, often for entertainment, social activities, or errands.

    We decided to go out for dinner instead of cooking at home.
    They like to go out with friends on Friday nights.
    She rarely goes out during the week because she prefers staying home to relax.

    Synonyms: leave the house, step out, head out, go somewhere, venture out, socialize outside, go into town, spend time outside, go for entertainment, go visiting, go exploring, go to public places
    Antonyms: stay in, remain home, stay indoors, remain inside, stay put, avoid going out, remain at home, stay behind, stay inside, stay settled, remain seated, stay sheltered

  2. (Verb) To date someone or spend time together in a romantic relationship.

    In another sense, go out can mean being in a romantic relationship with someone or going on dates together.

    They started to go out after meeting at a party.
    She has been going out with him for almost a year.
    Are they still going out, or did they break up?

    Synonyms: date, see each other, be in a relationship, be romantically involved, court, spend time romantically, go on dates, form a couple, be partners, pursue romance, be together romantically, have a relationship
    Antonyms: break up, separate, end relationship, stop dating, split, part ways, remain single, avoid romance, reject relationship, disconnect emotionally, stop seeing each other, dissolve partnership

  3. (Verb) To stop burning or shining.

    Go out can also describe a light, fire, or flame stopping or being extinguished.

    The candle suddenly went out when the wind blew through the window.
    The lights went out during the storm.
    The campfire slowly went out as the night grew colder.

    Synonyms: extinguish, fade out, stop burning, die out, turn off, go dark, lose flame, burn out, power down, cease shining, shut off light, fade away
    Antonyms: ignite, light up, turn on, burn brightly, start burning, flare up, glow, illuminate, power on, brighten, spark, blaze

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Go out

On a Friday night, friends Arthur and Beatrice are discussing their social plans. This conversation highlights go out, which means to leave your house to go to a social event, to stop burning (for a fire or light), or to be in a romantic relationship.

Arthur: I’ve been working in the office all week, so I really want to go out tonight and see a live band at the jazz club.

Beatrice: I’d love to go out, but I noticed that the streetlights managed to go out during the storm, so it’s very dark outside.

Arthur: I read that Mark and Sarah have been starting to go out with each other for about a month now, and they seem very happy.

Beatrice: I saw the campfire slowly go out as the rain became heavier, leaving us in total darkness in the middle of the forest.

Arthur: If the tide starts to go out, we can walk along the sand and look for interesting shells and sea glass near the rocks.

Beatrice: I noticed that the fashion trend for wearing neon colors seems to go out as quickly as it arrived in the local boutiques.

Arthur: It’s dangerous to go out during a blizzard, so we should stay inside and wait for the weather to improve before we travel anywhere.

Beatrice: I agree; I’m going to go out of my way to make sure that the guests feel welcome and comfortable during the dinner party.

Arthur: I’m glad we decided to go out; the atmosphere in the city tonight is incredibly energetic and full of life and music.

Beatrice: Me too; once we go out and enjoy a good meal, I’ll feel much more relaxed and ready for the busy weekend ahead.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Go Out

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb go out is used to talk about leaving home, social activities, stopping functioning, or romantic relationships.

Go out with friends

To leave home for social activities.

After finishing the project, they decided to go out with friends and celebrate at their favorite restaurant downtown.

Go out for dinner

To eat at a restaurant.

Instead of cooking at home, we chose to go out for dinner and try the new Italian place nearby.

Go out tonight

To leave home in the evening.

She rarely goes out tonight on weekdays because she prefers to rest after work.

Go out of business

To permanently close a company.

Many small shops had to go out of business during the economic crisis.

Go out of control

To become unmanageable.

The situation began to go out of control when no clear leadership was provided.

Go out on a date

To meet someone romantically.

He was nervous before going out on a date with someone he had admired for months.

Go out and explore

To leave and discover new places.

Travelers are encouraged to go out and explore local markets instead of staying inside the hotel.

Go out late

To stay outside until a late hour.

Teenagers often want to go out late on weekends to spend time with friends.

Go out safely

To leave without danger.

During the storm warning, residents were advised not to go out unless absolutely necessary.

Go out with someone

To be in a romantic relationship.

They started to go out with each other after meeting at a conference last year.

Go out for a walk

To leave home to walk outside.

Whenever she feels stressed, she prefers to go out for a walk and clear her mind.

Go out in the rain

To leave despite bad weather.

He didn’t want to go out in the rain, but he had an important appointment.

Go out of fashion

To become outdated.

Some clothing styles go out of fashion quickly, while others remain timeless.

Go out for coffee

To leave for a casual drink.

They decided to go out for coffee to discuss their ideas in a relaxed environment.

Go out and celebrate

To leave and mark a special event.

After receiving the promotion, she went out and celebrated with her family.

Go out briefly

To leave for a short time.

I’ll just go out briefly to buy groceries and come back soon.

Go out every weekend

To leave home regularly on weekends.

They usually go out every weekend to try new restaurants in the city.

Go out without permission

To leave without approval.

The child was told not to go out without permission from his parents.

Go out into the world

To leave home and experience life.

After graduation, she was ready to go out into the world and pursue her dreams.

Go out unexpectedly

To leave suddenly.

The lights suddenly went out unexpectedly during the presentation.

Words Rhyme with go out

show the scout
know the doubt
slow the shout
grow the trout
throw the route
flow the spout
stow the stout
low the bout
row the snout
glow about
out
about
shout
scout
doubt
trout
bout
snout
gout
route
spout
stout
clout
flout
without
throughout
devout
redoubt
dropout
turnout
POS: Verb Phrase