1 B1 informal
To cook food outdoors on a grill or over an open fire.
"We're planning to cook out this Saturday if the weather holds up."
inseparable
cook out
B1 informal inseparable transitive/intransitive
To cook food outdoors, typically on a grill or over an open fire; also used as a noun for such an event.
In plain English
To grill food outside, like at a barbecue.
What does "cook out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
To host or attend an outdoor cooking event or party (often used as 'cookout' noun).
"They threw a big cookout for the whole neighborhood on the Fourth of July."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cook in an outdoor setting.
Actually means
To grill food outside, like at a barbecue.
Usage tip
Primarily American English. Very common in casual summer social contexts. 'Cookout' (one word) is also a widely used noun referring to an outdoor barbecue event. Less commonly used in British English, where 'barbecue' is preferred for both the event and the verb.
Words that pair with "cook out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
burgers hot dogs grill backyard party summer
How to conjugate "cook out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cook out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cooks out
he/she/it
Past simple
cooked out
yesterday
Past participle
cooked out
have + pp
-ing form
cooking out
continuous
Hear "cook out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "cook out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
barbecue grill grill out have a barbecue
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