call out
B1 (Intermediate)Neutral to informal. Formal when used in institutional/emergency contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To shout or speak loudly to attract attention; to formally request someone's presence or assistance; to challenge or criticize someone publicly.
Can refer to summoning emergency services; challenging dishonesty or poor performance; acknowledging someone publicly (e.g., in a meeting); bringing hidden issues to light.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Phrasal verb with separable particle. Meaning heavily depends on context: 'call out the guard' (summon) vs. 'call out his lie' (challenge).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. 'Call out sick' is more common in US English; UK might use 'phone in sick'. 'Call out' for challenging is slightly more frequent in US media.
Connotations
In both, 'calling someone out' implies public confrontation. In US workplace, 'call-out culture' has strong negative connotations of public shaming.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English across corpora, especially for the 'challenge' meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SUBJ] call [OBJ] out[SUBJ] call out [to OBJ][SUBJ] call out [OBJ] for [REASON]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “call out the big guns”
- “call someone out on the carpet”
- “a call-out charge”
- “call-out culture”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To publicly identify mistakes or unethical practices in a meeting or report.
Academic
To critique a flaw in an argument or methodology in a published paper.
Everyday
To shout to someone who is far away; to tell your boss you are too ill to work.
Technical
A service visit by a repair technician (a 'call-out').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The union may call out its members if the strike vote passes.
- I had to call out to the waiter as he walked past.
American English
- She called him out for spreading rumors during the meeting.
- He had to call out sick due to a severe migraine.
adjective
British English
- The call-out fee for an emergency plumber is £80.
- We operate a 24-hour call-out service.
American English
- There's a $100 call-out charge just for the technician to show up.
- He's on call-out duty this weekend.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He called out 'hello' but no one answered.
- The teacher called out the names of the students.
- We had to call out a doctor in the middle of the night.
- He was called out for not telling the truth.
- The journalist called out the minister for misleading the public.
- The system allows any employee to call out safety concerns anonymously.
- The scholar's paper effectively called out the inherent bias in the previous methodology.
- Activists are calling out the company's hypocrisy regarding its environmental pledges.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a town crier CALLing OUT news loudly in the square. Or, picture someone pointing a finger and publicly saying, 'I CALL you OUT on that lie!'
Conceptual Metaphor
BRINGING HIDDEN THINGS INTO THE LIGHT IS CALLING THEM OUT (e.g., calling out corruption).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'вызывать' only in the sense of inviting. The confrontational meaning ('to call out') is closer to 'призвать к ответу', 'публично осудить'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I called out him.' (Correct: 'I called him out.')
- Incorrect: 'She called out me for being late.' (Correct: 'She called me out for being late.')
- Confusing 'call out' (challenge) with 'call off' (cancel).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'call out' mean 'to summon for help'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While the 'challenge' meaning is often negative, it can be neutral or positive (e.g., calling out someone's achievement in a meeting). The 'summon/shout' meaning is neutral.
'Call out' usually means to summon someone *to come to you* (often for help) or to challenge publicly. 'Call in' often means to contact someone by phone or to request their involvement (e.g., call in an expert, call in sick).
Yes, especially in UK English. A 'call-out' is a visit by a repair person or emergency service for which a fee is often charged. Also used in 'call-out culture' (noun phrase).
It is predominantly American. In British English, 'phone in sick' or 'ring in sick' is more common, though 'call out sick' is understood.