- present participle of out.
outing
Americannoun
-
outings
plural
-
a pleasure trip, excursion, picnic, or the like.
the annual outing for the senior class.
- Synonyms:
- jaunt
-
a public appearance, as by a participant in an athletic contest or event.
The new player scored spectacularly in his second outing with the team.
-
the intentional exposure of a person’s denied or secret identity, orientation, or status, especially gay sexual orientation or transgender identity.
noun
-
a short outward and return journey; trip; excursion
-
informal the naming by homosexuals of other prominent homosexuals, often against their will
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of outing
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at out, -ing 1
Explanation
An outing is a short trip, especially one that takes no longer than a day. For example, you might ask your pal if he'd like to go on an outing to the zoo. A summer outing might be a picnic or a day at the beach, while a winter outing could consist of a hike in the snow or a shopping trip and lunch at a restaurant. Any brief, fun journey can be called an outing. In the fourteenth century, an outing was simply the "action of going out," and in the fifteenth century it started to mean "act of putting out" as well. By the 1800s it had gained today's definition.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It was on this second outing that the teens encountered Byrd and Roberts.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Fueled by a booming resale market, the ritual of buying deceased homeowners’ belongings has morphed from a leisurely weekend outing into an elbows-up affair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is poised to become one of Marvel's most successful movies at the box office, and Sony will be hoping to emulate the returns of Holland's previous outing, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
The Díaz sisters spoke to The Times about their season of upheaval and the recovery that informed their first independent outing yet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Not the heat that glued her skin to the plastic chair, not an outing to the beach, not even a movie followed by a beef pot pie at the Automat.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
He appears to have fully recovered from the elbow procedure that kept him sidelined for six weeks earlier this season, having posted a 1.95 ERA in his last six outings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Phillips, who last week talked about rewiring his rehab mindset, has already surrendered four home runs in just seven outings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
His boat tour is one of many available across Maine, which range from straightforwardly commercial operations to outings led by small-town lobstermen who welcome occasional passengers for a fee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
And his steadiness in those shorter outings culminated in a strong postseason run that included four scoreless appearances in the World Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
I lied and told Mom the outings were canceled.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
