English Meaning & Definitions
To wait longer than someone else, typically until they give up, leave, or a specific event occurs.
- “The protesters were determined to outwait the police line, staying in the square for three consecutive days.”
- “She hoped to outwait the storm by staying inside the cabin until the winds died down.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “outwait”.
Formed in English by the combination of the prefix 'out-' (denoting superiority or surpassing) and the verb 'wait' (from Old French 'waitier', meaning to watch or lie in ambush). The term emerged in the 17th century to describe the act of remaining in a place or state longer than another person, effectively 'waiting them out'.
Think of a 'waiting contest': if you stay longer than your opponent, you have 'out-waited' them.
Frequently Asked Questions About “outwait”
1. What is the meaning of “outwait” in English?
In English, outwait (verb) is defined as: “To wait longer than someone else, typically until they give up, leave, or a specific event occurs.”.
2. How do you use “outwait” in a sentence?
“The protesters were determined to outwait the police line, staying in the square for three consecutive days.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “outwait”?
Formed in English by the combination of the prefix 'out-' (denoting superiority or surpassing) and the verb 'wait' (from Old French 'waitier', meaning to watch or lie in ambush). The term emerged in the 17th century to describe the act of remaining in a place or state longer than another person, effectively 'waiting them out'.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.