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Glite Dictionary
✅ To complete 🔢 To adjust numbers ⚪ To make rounded
to round out

to round out

4.5
Make something smooth by removing sharp edges
  • phrasal verb
  • /raʊnd aʊt/
translation icon : redondear
  • To define your face shape, contour the bridge of your nose and round out the edges of your cheeks.

Examples

  • That seems a chronic Soviet disorder: nothing ever is quite rounded out, including their Five-Year plans.

    Academic text (2017)

  • You should round out the corners of the table to prevent any accidents.

  • For the head, yes, go ahead and start to round out your head and create the head shape.

  • The arch I actually like to round out for some reason, I don't know why, I like rounded.

  • To create a smooth surface, begin to round out the edges of the block of wood.

  • When decorating the cake, be sure to round out the sides for a polished look.

Synonyms

to round
vsto round out
76 2.1

Make something have a curved shape

is the multiword expression with identical meaning
to fill out
vsto round out
14 2.8

To become or make something fuller by adding more

creates roundness by shaping rather than adding bulk
to plump up
vsto round out
1 4.5

To make a pillow or cushion fuller by fluffing it

forms roundness by changing shape rather than fluffing actions
to round off
vsto round out
3.8

To make a sharp edge or corner smooth and curved

is used more generally to form overall roundness
to circularize
vsto round out
7.9

To change an object so it becomes round

makes roundness without requiring exact circular shape

Antonyms

to straighten
114 2.5

Make something straight and in the right position

to flatten
23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

How Round

to sphere
7.6
to round out
4.5
to curve
22 2.8

Surface Forms

round out infinitive
rounded out past
rounded out past participle
rounding out present participle
rounds out third person singular

Morphology

round + out

The meaning 'to make something more rounded' is directly compositional from 'round' (to make or be circular/rounded) plus the particle 'out' (often meaning to make something complete or fully so). Even if one sense of 'round' is numeric, the shape-related sense is common at B1 and the verb+out pattern is a regular, cross-linguistically familiar composition, so learners who know the constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The verb round out comes from the literal act of smoothing a sharp edge until it becomes curved, like sanding a table corner or the edge of a stone. That's why it can mean 'to make something more rounded in shape'.