count out

British  

verb

1. informal to leave out; exclude

   count me out!

2. (of a boxing referee) to judge (a floored boxer) to have failed to recover within the specified time See count 1

3. to count (something) aloud

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count out Idioms  

1. Declare a boxer (or other contestant) to have lost, as in Paul was counted out in the first round . This term alludes to count in the sense of “ten seconds,” the time allowed for a boxer to rise after being knocked down (if he does not rise in time, he is “out”). The earliest recorded use of the term was for a cockfight in 1808; its use for boxing came about a century later. Also see down for the count .

2. Exclude, leave out of consideration, as in As for skiing this winter, you'll have to count me out . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s] Also see count in .

3. Apportion; also, recalculate. For example, They counted out four pieces of music for each band member , or When Peggy got her change she counted out all the pennies . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

But don’t count out budget airlines just yet.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

And don’t count out what got Microsoft here in the first place: its software.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Marva says certain assumptions can count out promising South Asian talent.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

Yes, it’s a new year, but don’t count out the Steelers at home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

I was contributing almost as much as I had during the previous summer, but I wasn’t taking the money proudly to Momma for her to count out and put into the crock.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson