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to go out

to go out

255 1.0
Stop burning or shining, like a candle
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡoʊ aʊt/
translation icon : apagarse
  • The campfire began to die down, and soon it would go out completely.
  • lights go out

The lights literally went out smash.

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Examples

  • When the storm hit, the electricity failed, causing the lights to go out unexpectedly.

  • But the fire cannot go out

  • But when the stage lights went out.

  • When the power goes out and these modern conveniences fail, Americans are incapacitated.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We watched as the candles flickered and eventually went out one by one.

Synonyms

to put out
vsto go out
114 2.0

Make a fire, light, or cigarette stop burning

stops burning or shining without someone actively causing it
to blow out
vsto go out
50 2.4

Stop a flame by breathing on it

stops burning or shining without someone using breath to stop it
to go off
vsto go out
  • UK
42 2.5

Stop working or lose power, for example lights

is used for lights and fires stopping burning or shining specifically
to extinguish
vsto go out
23 4.4

Stop a fire, candle, or other light from burning

stops burning or shining by itself rather than by someone acting
to snuff out
vsto go out
6 4.7

Stop a flame, candle, or small fire from burning

stops burning or shining by itself rather than being caused to stop
to put out a fire
vsto go out
5 2.5

Stop a fire burning and spreading

stops burning or shining but does not focus on halting spread

Antonyms

428 1.0

To send out or reflect light and look bright

66 4.0

To make something start burning

How Bright

to burn
181 2.3
to shine
428 1.0
glow
119 1.0
to flicker
60 3.6
to go out
255 1.0

Surface Forms

go out infinitive
going out present participle
goes out third person singular
went out past
gone out past participle

Morphology

go + out

The components 'go' (move) and 'out' (away/outside) transparently suggest leaving home to socialize, which gives a plausible clue to a social/romantic activity. However, the specific conventionalized sense 'to date someone regularly' is an extended, culture-specific usage that is not fully predictable from the parts and typically requires prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Go out for lights and fires comes from the image of a small flame shrinking and disappearing into the dark; when the light 'goes out' it stops burning, so go out means 'to stop burning or shining'.