1 B1 neutral
To leave a room, building, or space briefly and temporarily.
"Could you excuse me? I need to step out to take this phone call."
inseparable
step out
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To leave a place briefly, to go out socially, or (dated) to have a romantic relationship.
In plain English
Leave a room or place for a short time, or go out somewhere.
What does "step out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To go out socially, often dressed smartly for an occasion.
"They decided to step out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary."
inseparable
3 C1 idiomatic informal
(Dated/informal) To have a romantic relationship with someone; to be dating.
"Back in those days, everyone in town knew he was stepping out with the baker's daughter."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To take a step outside of a space.
Actually means
Leave a room or place for a short time, or go out somewhere.
Usage tip
The sense of briefly leaving a room is very common in formal or professional settings ('I need to step out for a moment'). The social sense ('step out for the evening') is neutral and slightly formal. The romantic sense ('stepping out with someone') is dated/old-fashioned.
Words that pair with "step out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
moment briefly office evening call meeting
How to conjugate "step out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
step out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
steps out
he/she/it
Past simple
steped out
yesterday
Past participle
steped out
have + pp
-ing form
steping out
continuous
Hear "step out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "step out"
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Keep exploring
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