out of
/aʊt ɒv/not inside or contained within something
She took the keys out of her bag.
She removed the keys from inside her bag.
The water is out of the bottle.
The water is no longer inside the bottle.
This is the most common and basic meaning of 'out of'.
exhausted or used up
We are out of milk.
There is no milk left in the house.
The battery is out of charge.
The battery has no power left.
This meaning is often used to describe a lack of something.
from a particular place or situation
He walked out of the room.
He left the room and went somewhere else.
She got out of the car.
She exited the car and stood outside of it.
This meaning is often used to describe movement from one place to another.
Collocations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Out of' is often used to describe physical locations, such as 'out of the house' or 'out of the car'. It can also be used to describe a lack of something, such as 'out of milk' or 'out of time'.
Idiomatic Expressions
There are many idiomatic expressions that use 'out of', such as 'out of the blue' (suddenly and unexpectedly) and 'out of the woods' (no longer in danger or difficulty).
Collocations
'Out of' is often used with certain verbs, such as 'go', 'come', 'walk', 'run', etc. It is also often used with certain adjectives, such as 'control', 'reach', 'sight', etc.
⚡Gold Rule
Physical Location
When 'out of' is used to describe a physical location, it means that something is not inside or contained within something else. For example, 'The cat jumped out of the box' means that the cat was inside the box and then moved outside of it.
Lack of Something
When 'out of' is used to describe a lack of something, it means that there is no more of that thing available. For example, 'We are out of milk' means that there is no milk left in the house.
State or Condition
When 'out of' is used to describe a state or condition, it means that something is not in a particular state or condition. For example, 'The battery is out of charge' means that the battery has no power left.
📖Word Origin
The phrase 'out of' is a combination of the adverb 'out' and the preposition 'of'. 'Out' comes from Old English 'ūt', meaning 'outside' or 'from within', and 'of' comes from Old English 'of', meaning 'from' or 'away from'. The phrase has been used in English since at least the 14th century.
📝Usage Notes
'Out of' is a very common phrase in English and is used in a variety of contexts. It can be used to describe physical locations, to indicate a lack of something, or to describe a state or condition. It is often used with verbs of movement, such as 'go', 'come', 'walk', 'run', etc.