1 A2 neutral
To not include something in a piece of writing, speech, process, or list.
"He left out the most important detail in his report."
separable
leave out
A2 neutral separable transitive
To not include someone or something, either deliberately or accidentally.
In plain English
To not put something or someone in — to skip them or forget about them.
What does "leave out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 idiomatic neutral
To exclude someone from a group, activity, or social situation.
"She felt completely left out when the others went to the party without telling her."
separable
3 A2 neutral
To place something outside or in a visible location for someone to collect or use.
"She left out some biscuits for the guests on the kitchen table."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To leave something outside of a group, container, or set.
Actually means
To not put something or someone in — to skip them or forget about them.
Usage tip
Extremely common at all levels. Can refer to omitting words, people, ingredients, steps, etc. The passive form ('left out') is very frequently used to describe the feeling of being excluded socially.
Words that pair with "leave out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
details name ingredient step word chapter
How to conjugate "leave out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
leave out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
leaves out
he/she/it
Past simple
left out
yesterday
Past participle
left out
have + pp
-ing form
leaving out
continuous
Hear "leave out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "leave out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "leave out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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