アウト

• Reading: アウト
• Romaji: auto
• Pronunciation: /a.ɯ.to/

Meaning

Out; disqualified; eliminated. Used in sports, games, and colloquially to mean something is unacceptable.

A loanword from English 'out.' In baseball, it refers to a player being out. Colloquially, アウト is widely used to describe something that crosses a line or is unacceptable, as in それはアウトだよ (that is not okay). The opposite in casual usage is セーフ (safe).

Examples

1. 三振でアウトになった。 He struck out and was called out.
2. 締め切りに遅れたらアウトだよ。 If you miss the deadline, you're out.
3. あの発言は完全にアウトだと思う。 I think that comment was totally out of line.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, daily conversation, judgments

Tone: direct

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'out.' Entered Japanese primarily through baseball terminology during the early 20th century, then expanded to general colloquial usage.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal