out-and-out

American  

[out-n-out, -nd-out] / ˈaʊt nˈaʊt, -ndˈaʊt /

adjective

1. complete; total; thoroughgoing.

   an out-and-out lie.

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out-and-out British  

adjective

1. (prenominal) thoroughgoing; complete

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Etymology

Origin of out-and-out

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Explanation

Out-and-out means "absolute" or "complete," often in a bad way. A terrible party is an out-and-out disaster, and the people who said they’d bring cupcakes but didn’t told an out-and-out lie. The adjective out-and-out is particularly useful for providing emphasis, often in a negative way but not always. For example, you can call your favorite teacher an out-and-out hero, or describe a crooked politician as an out-and-out criminal. An angry English teacher might call a copied paper an out-and-out case of plagiarism, and you might bake a cake for your best friend's birthday that's an out-and-out masterpiece. If someone steals it, she’s an out-and-out cake thief.

Example Sentences

“How can we improve the product, make it out-and-out racing and look at what can improve in terms of safety. But act with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

And so he employs other tools: the hunch, the educated guess, even out-and-out speculation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Both Rooney and Heskey feel the apparent lack of out-and-out number nines coming through is a sign of the way the game has gone, not just in England but globally.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane was the only out-and-out striker named in Thomas Tuchel's 25-man squad for this week's World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Mother must have concluded that since I was above out-and-out lying I was also beyond deceit.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou