- 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 bounced off the plate, ending his outing and, for all anyone knew, his pitching career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
It was on this second outing that the teens encountered Byrd and Roberts.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Palmer and Colwill were given the freedom to go shopping after picking up knocks against Spurs, but videos of their outing showed just how well-known they were.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 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
She seemed genuinely mystified, as if she hadn't terrorized them for days into thinking of this outing as equivalent to going to the doctor for their booster shots.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
But he’s given up runs in three of his last four outings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 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
As of June 30, the most popular options included a mix of potentially pricey outings, but also some cheap ones: “Drinks, coffee & tea, dinner, and a walk,” according to Hinge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Over those two outings, Merino has touched the ball just 16 times and managed to score twice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Gran used to bustle in the kitchen and plan outings.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
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.
