stick out
Britishverb
-
to project or cause to project
-
informal (tr) to endure (something disagreeable) (esp in the phrase stick it out )
-
informal to be extremely obvious
-
(intr) to insist on (a demand), refusing to yield until it is met
the unions stuck out for a ten per cent wage rise
-
Also, stick out a mile or like a sore thumb . Be very prominent or conspicuous, as in Dad's funny hat made him stick out in the crowd , or That purple house sticks out a mile , or John's lie sticks out like a sore thumb . The first term dates from the mid-1500s, the variants from the first half of the 1900s. The variant using thumb alludes to the propensity for holding an injured thumb stiffly, making it stand out (and thereby risking further injury).
-
Continue doing something, endure something, as in I know you don't like it but you have to stick out the job for another month . [Late 1600s] A variant is stick it out , as in His new play's boring, but since he's my cousin we'd better stick it out . [Late 1800s] Also see stick it , def. 1.
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.
After the test run, Petty concluded that it will take less than 90 days to clean the three skyscrapers that stick out on the city skyline over Crypto.com Arena and the Harbor Freeway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
But while the new house looks different, it doesn’t stick out: It has the same footprint as the original cabin and the exterior has a lot of wood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
At some point before the 2 June primary, "I assume somebody will stick out," Casey said.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Those that have been left behind stick out like sore hitchhiker’s thumbs, which helps explain recent activist interest.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
She would open her mouth and stick out her tongue, and come back to earth drenched and red-cheeked and victorious.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
