1 A2 idiomatic neutral
To result in a particular way; to happen to be the case in the end.
"Everything turned out better than we had expected."
inseparable
turn out
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To result in a particular way; to attend or gather at an event; to produce or manufacture something; to switch off a light.
In plain English
To end up in a certain way, to come to an event, to make something, or to switch a light off.
What does "turn out" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To come to or attend an event, especially in large numbers.
"Over fifty thousand people turned out for the free outdoor concert."
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
To produce or manufacture something in quantity.
"The factory turns out about two thousand units every day."
separable
4 A2 neutral
To switch off a light.
"Don't forget to turn out the lights before you go to bed."
“
Don't forget to turn out the lights.
— Common idiomatic instruction; also the title of a song by Teddy Pendergrass (1981)
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To rotate something outward or switch something in the outward/off position.
Actually means
To end up in a certain way, to come to an event, to make something, or to switch a light off.
Usage tip
One of the most frequent phrasal verbs in English. The 'result' sense ('it turned out fine') is extremely common. The attendance sense ('thousands turned out') is common in news reporting. The production sense ('the factory turns out 500 units a day') is business/industrial. 'Turn out the lights' is a classic phrase.
Words that pair with "turn out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
fine well badly crowds voters products
How to conjugate "turn out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
turn out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
turns out
he/she/it
Past simple
turned out
yesterday
Past participle
turned out
have + pp
-ing form
turning out
continuous
Hear "turn out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "turn out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.