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Glite Dictionary
sticking out

sticking out

15 2.9
Coming out past a surface so it can be seen
  • idiom
translation icon : saliente
  • The bookshelf was full, with several books sticking out at odd angles.
  • tongue sticking out
  • legs sticking out
  • hair sticking out

That means it also has a White House cover up prong sticking out of it too.

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Examples

  • It's loosened up now, but this is sticking out far too much.

  • As she turned, I noticed that a price tag was sticking out of her shirt collar.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • We're going to have eight other things sticking out over here.

  • Why does he have those long bars sticking out the side of his wheels?

  • But you'll finish with these leaves sticking out like this.

  • Her legs were on the floor, sticking out behind the jukebox.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • A baby dinosaur tries to get out, just its head sticking out of the shell.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • No houses were visible save a few hip roofs sticking out of the lush vegetation, between red flamboyants.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • So now that they're trimmed, I like to just go over them and find those random little hairs that I might have missed that are sticking out too much.

  • I noticed a branch was sticking out from the hedge, making it difficult to walk past.

Synonyms

protuberant
vssticking out
1 8.4

Sticks out from a surface in a round or curved way

is the simple outward extension without implying a rounded or bulging shape
projected
vssticking out
4.9

A part that sticks out from a surface, like a roof or balcony

is the general phrase for simple outward extension rather than a single term
projecting
vssticking out
4.2

Sticks out from a surface or edge

is the broader phrase describing outward extension without focusing on action
jutting
vssticking out
4.8

Sticking out from a surface or edge

is the neutral description of outward extension without stressing prominence
protruding
vssticking out
4.2

Sticking out from a surface like a nail or branch

is the more general phrase for outward extension rather than a single verb
sticking
vssticking out
2.7

Extending beyond a surface, like a nail or piece of paper

is the broader multiword form describing the same outward extension generally
protrusive
vssticking out
7.6

Sticking out from a surface so it is noticed

is the neutral description of outward extension without implying force
overshot
vssticking out
7.7

Having an upper part that sticks out over the lower part

is the general outward extension not limited to one part or position

Antonyms

flush
3 6.5

Level with a nearby surface so there is no gap

recessed
1 5.6

Set back into a wall to make a small shelf or seat

How Far

jutting
4.8
sticking out
15 2.9
raised
1.0

Surface Forms

sticking out positive

Morphology

sticking + out

The meaning 'extending outward beyond a surface' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents: the verb notion 'stick' (project/adhere) combined with the particle 'out' (away from the interior), so the spatial sense is transparent. This verb+particle pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Sticking out comes from the simple picture of something partly pushed outside: part of it is sticking and showing out. So, if a shirt is sticking out from under a sweater, that part goes beyond the sweater and is easy to see, which is why the phrase means 'extending outward'.