wash out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to wash (the inside of something) so as to remove (dirt)

2. Also: wash off.  to remove or be removed by washing

   grass stains don't wash out easily

3. (tr) to cancel or abandon (a sporting event)

---

noun

1. geology

   1. erosion of the earth's surface by the action of running water

   2. a narrow channel produced by this erosion

2. informal

   1. a total failure or disaster

   2. an incompetent person

3. a sporting or social event that is cancelled due to rain

4. aeronautics a decrease in the angle of attack of an aircraft wing towards the wing tip

wash out Idioms  

1. Remove or be removed by washing; also, cause to fade by laundering. For example, Give it to me; I'll wash out that stain , or The bleach has really washed out that bright print . [Mid-1700s]

2. Wear away or be worn away by the flow of water, as in The river rose and washed out the dam , or The road has completely washed out . [Mid-1700s]

3. Deplete or be depleted of energy, as in Working on her feet all day just washed her out , or I just washed out after that long tennis match . [Mid-1800s]

4. Eliminate or be eliminated as unsatisfactory, as in He washed out of medical school after just one year , or After only two months as chairman I washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]

5. Cancel owing to bad weather, as in The picnic was washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s] Also see washed out .

---

Example Sentences

Last March marked the first time in three years that the event could be held outdoors after rain washed out celebrations in 2023 and 2024.

From BBC

If I was washing out clothes in the basin or sharpening the point on my homemade knife when the ants appeared, I stopped The Hidi ng Place at once to give them my full attention.

From Literature

On land, habitats for hedgehogs, field voles and other small mammals have been washed out, resulting in them being pushed out of their homes and drowning.

From BBC

Momentum readings look washed out, sentiment has cooled, and price is holding key support.

From Barron's

Sri Lanka are bottom of Super Eights Group 2 on zero points, below New Zealand and Pakistan on one point each after their match on Saturday was washed out.

From Barron's

Related Words

• break down
• break up
• come apart
• crumble
• decay
• decompose
• degenerate
• descend
• disband
• dismantle
• rot
• sever
• shatter
• sink
• splinter
• wither