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dine out

A2 neutral intransitive

To eat a meal at a restaurant or another place outside the home.

In plain English

To go to a restaurant or someone else's house for a meal.

What does "dine out" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 A2 neutral

To eat a meal at a restaurant or venue away from home.

"We like to dine out on special occasions, but it's expensive."

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To dine outside (one's own home).

Actually means

To go to a restaurant or someone else's house for a meal.

Usage tip

Very common and widely understood. Slightly more formal than 'eat out'. Often implies a sit-down restaurant meal. Contrasted directly with 'dine in'.

Words that pair with "dine out"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

restaurant Friday anniversary friends treat evening

How to conjugate "dine out"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
dine out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dines out
he/she/it
Past simple
dined out
yesterday
Past participle
dined out
have + pp
-ing form
dining out
continuous

Hear "dine out" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "dine out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Keep exploring

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