give out
Britishverb
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(tr) to emit or discharge
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(tr) to publish or make known
the chairman gave out that he would resign
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(tr) to hand out or distribute
they gave out free chewing gum on the street
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(intr) to become exhausted; fail
the supply of candles gave out
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informal to reprimand (someone) at length
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(tr) cricket (of an umpire) to declare (a batsman) dismissed
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Allow to be known, declare publicly, as in They gave out that she was ill . [Mid-1300s]
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Send forth, emit, as in The machine gave out a steady buzzing . [Mid-1400s]
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Distribute, as in They gave out surplus food every week . [c. 1700]
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Stop functioning, fail; also, become exhausted or used up. For example, The motor gave out suddenly , or My strength simply gave out . [First half of 1500s]
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.
He has been known to freely give out his phone number.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
IPP sentences were introduced in 2005 and allowed judges to give out sentences with no maximum tariff to perpetrators of serious crimes or repeat offenders.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“He has talent. He’s a competitor, and I’m excited about this season for him. He has a lot to give out to us, and he’s going to bring a lot out of us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Amid the rush to give out passes to the Clean Air Act, communities already saddled with air pollution find themselves affected once more.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
His whole face was throbbing; the nurse wasn't allowed to give out Tylenol.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
