come out
B1 (High frequency phrasal verb)Neutral to informal across most senses; formal register possible in contexts like 'the report came out yesterday'.
Definition
Meaning
To move from inside to outside; to appear, emerge, or become known or visible.
To be released or published; to become publicly known (e.g., a secret, product, or truth); to openly declare an identity, typically regarding sexual orientation or gender identity; to result from a process; to cease work (strike); to be removed from something (stain, colour).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Highly polysemous. The specific meaning is heavily dependent on context and collocating nouns. Can be literal (physical emergence) or figurative (information, identity, results). The 'declare identity' sense is socially significant and fixed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use all major senses. 'Come out on strike' is slightly more common in UK news. In the 'declare identity' sense, usage is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations across variants for all senses.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SUBJ] + come out + (of [PLACE])[SUBJ] + come out + (as [IDENTITY])[SUBJ] + come out + ([ADV])[SUBJ] + come out + with [PRODUCT/STATEMENT]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “come out of the closet”
- “come out in the wash (figurative)”
- “come out on top”
- “come out swinging”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The new model will come out in Q4." (Product launch)
Academic
"The findings came out in favour of the initial hypothesis." (Research results)
Everyday
"The sun's finally come out!" / "When does the film come out?"
Technical
"The image didn't come out properly due to a development error." (Photography)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The daffodils are coming out early this year.
- The union has voted to come out on strike.
- The details came out during the inquiry.
American English
- The movie comes out this Friday.
- He came out to his family last year.
- The stain won't come out of the shirt.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cat came out from under the bed.
- My photos didn't come out very well.
- The stars come out at night.
- When will your exam results come out?
- She finally came out and said what she really thought.
- I hope the truth comes out soon.
- The company is coming out with a revolutionary new device.
- After years of struggle, he came out as gay to his colleagues.
- The politician came out strongly in favour of the reforms.
- The full implications of the scandal are only now coming out.
- Her shyness came out as aloofness in the interview.
- The research came out with some unexpected conclusions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a butterfly COMing OUT of its cocoon. It moves from inside (hidden) to outside (visible), revealing its true form. This captures both the literal 'emerge' and figurative 'reveal' meanings.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING / BECOMING PUBLIC IS EMERGING (The truth came out). STATES ARE CONTAINERS (He came out of his depression). REVEALING IDENTITY IS STEPPING INTO THE OPEN (She came out as transgender).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate word-for-word as 'приходить снаружи'. It is a unit.
- The 'declare identity' sense has no direct single-word Russian equivalent; often requires explanation: 'открыто заявить о своей ориентации'.
- Confusion with Russian 'выйти', which covers 'come out', 'go out', and 'exit'.
Common Mistakes
- *I came out from the house. (Use 'came out of the house')
- *The magazine came out it yesterday. (Redundant object pronoun)
- Using 'came out' for a deliberate announcement of non-LGBTQ+ identity sounds odd: *He came out as a chess fan.
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'The colours might come out in the wash,' what does 'come out' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an inseparable phrasal verb. You cannot say 'come it out' or 'come the secret out'. The object follows the particle: 'The secret came out.'
'Come out' often implies emergence to a point where the speaker is, or a natural/planned appearance. 'Get out' emphasizes the act of leaving, often with effort or urgency. Compare: 'Come out and play!' (invitation) vs. 'Get out of the car!' (command).
Yes, very commonly. Products (phones, books), information (news, results), natural phenomena (sun, flowers), and marks/stains all 'come out'.
Primarily, yes. While the structure 'come out as [X]' can be used humorously or loosely for other identities ('come out as a fan'), its default and socially charged meaning relates to revealing a non-heterosexual orientation or transgender identity. This sense should be used with cultural awareness.