left out

American

[left out] / ˈlɛft ˈaʊt /

Or left-out

adjective

excluded or omitted.

Proofread carefully to catch typographical errors, such as repeated words or a left out quotation mark or parenthesis.
The songwriter calls it an anthem for left-out and bullied kids.
remaining behind in an exposed, accessible, or visible place.

Raccoons love to supplement their diets with items from your trash or left-out pet food.

verb

left out, the simple past tense and past participle of verb phrase leave out.

Etymology

Origin of left out

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

Mark Wood has no set return from a knee injury and Matthew Potts has been left out.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Those who have been left out are losing patience.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

A canvas left out in the rain, given legs on the red carpet.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

The names left out of the Pentagon’s network of AI vendors may be more significant than those included.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

At home, I told Gran that Red’s granny sent her warm regards, but left out the “crabby old wretch” part.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023