1.
to leave a place, towards the speaker
“Come out, I want to see you!”
“She came out of the shop.”
“The sun came out after the rain.”
Synonyms: to emerge, to exit
Phrasal verb
What does come out mean?
Meaning: to leave a place; to appear for the first time
B1
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Quick answer
Come out = to leave a place (towards the speaker) or to appear for the first time (a book, a film). The sun came out = the sun appeared. The film comes out tomorrow = you can see the film from tomorrow.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to appear for the first time (a film, a book)
“The new album comes out next week.”
“Her book came out in May.”
Synonyms: to be released, to be published
3.
to tell people that you are LGBT+
idiomatic“He came out to his parents last year.”
Word order
Intransitive (no object)
This phrasal verb does not take an object.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- come out
- Past Simple:
- came out
- Past participle:
- come out
- -ing form:
- coming out
Common mistakes to avoid
Direction: towards the speaker
Come out = to leave a place towards me (I am outside). Go out = to leave a place (without a direction, or away from me). If you are in the garden and your friend is inside, say Come out and play!
Come out or come out of?
To say which place, use of: come out of the shop ✓. Without of (come out the shop), it is very informal: avoid it in an exam.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: come out
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Come out: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
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For teachersCome out: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
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English contestCome out: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
What does come out mean?+
Come out = to leave a place, to appear for the first time (a film, a book, an album), or to tell people that you are gay. The book comes out in June = you can buy the book from June.
What is the difference between come out and go out?+
Come out = to leave a place towards the speaker (who is outside). Go out = to leave a place, away from the speaker or in general. When you call from the garden: Come out! When you send someone outside: Go out!
Is come out separable?+
No, it has no object. To say which place, add of: come out of the room. With the meaning “appear for the first time”, there is no object either.
What does coming out mean?+
To come out can mean to tell people that you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans. He came out to his family = he told his family. This is meaning 3, and it is now standard English.
What is the past simple of come out?+
Came out. Come is irregular: come → came → come. The album came out in 2020.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/come-out
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.