1 A2 neutral
To say something loudly so that others can hear; to shout.
"She called out his name across the busy station but he didn't hear her."
separable
call out
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To shout something; to publicly challenge or criticise someone; or to summon someone to a scene.
In plain English
Say something loudly, OR tell everyone that someone did something wrong, OR ask someone to come and help.
What does "call out" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To publicly accuse, confront, or criticise someone for bad behaviour, hypocrisy, or wrongdoing.
"Several journalists called out the minister for contradicting his earlier statements."
separable
3 B1 neutral
To summon or deploy someone, especially emergency workers or military personnel, to a scene.
"The army was called out to assist with flood relief operations."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic neutral
To officially order workers to go on strike.
"Union leaders called out their members after negotiations broke down."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To call outward — projecting your voice or directing attention outward at someone.
Actually means
Say something loudly, OR tell everyone that someone did something wrong, OR ask someone to come and help.
Usage tip
The 'challenge' or 'confront' sense has become very common in social media contexts (e.g. 'calling out' celebrities for bad behaviour). The 'summon' sense is common in emergency services contexts (calling out the fire brigade). Highly versatile.
Words that pair with "call out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
name behaviour hypocrisy emergency services troops warning
How to conjugate "call out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
call out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
calls out
he/she/it
Past simple
called out
yesterday
Past participle
called out
have + pp
-ing form
calling out
continuous
Hear "call out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "call out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "call out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
challenge confront criticise publicly deploy shout summon
Keep exploring
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