Standard Lemma guide

outdoors

adv · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /aʊtˈdɔː(ɹ)z/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)z
  • CMU ARPABET: AW1 T D AO1 R Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Not inside a house or under covered structure; unprotected; in the open air.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • They went outdoors to light up their cigarettes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: alfresco, withoutdoors

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The environment outside of enclosed structures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Qualifier: often preceded by the

Examples

  • He won't leave his house: he's afraid of the outdoors.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: indoors

3

noun

Meaning 3

The natural environment in the open air, countryside away from cities and buildings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Qualifier: often preceded by the

Examples

  • She loves the outdoors, for its freedom and fresh air.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: great outdoors, God's country

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

third-person singular simple present indicative of outdoor

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

outside a building

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in summer we play outside

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outside, out of doors, alfresco

Antonyms: indoors

6

noun

Meaning 6

where the air is unconfined

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he wanted to get outdoors a little
  • the concert was held in the open air
  • camping in the open

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: out-of-doors, open air, open

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: outside, exterior

History

Etymology

From out + doors (plural of door), probably as a shortening of out of doors. Alternatively, from outdoor (adjective) + -s (adverbial genitive suffix).

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Across languages

Translations

82 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: buitenshuis — in the open air
  • Armenian: դուրս (durs) — in the open air
  • Armenian: բացօթյա (bacʻōtʻya) — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: bayırda — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: çöldə — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: eşikdə — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: dışda — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: açıq havada — in the open air
  • Bashkir: тышта (tışta) — in the open air
  • Bulgarian: навън (navǎn) — in the open air
  • Bulgarian: на открито (na otkrito) — in the open air
  • Catalan: a l'aire lliure — in the open air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 戶外 /户外 (hùwài) — in the open air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 室外 (shìwài) — in the open air
  • Danish: udendørs — in the open air
  • Finnish: ulos — in the open air
  • Finnish: ulkona — in the open air
  • Finnish: ulkoilmassa — in the open air
  • French: à l'extérieur — in the open air
  • French: dehors — in the open air
  • French: en plein air — in the open air
  • Galician: ao ar libre — in the open air
  • German: im Freien — in the open air
  • German: draußen — in the open air
  • German: an der frischen Luft — in the open air
  • Greek: εξωτερικός χώρος (exoterikós chóros) — in the open air
  • Greek: έξω (éxo) — in the open air
  • Hungarian: kint — in the open air
  • Hungarian: a szabadban — in the open air
  • Icelandic: úti — in the open air
  • Icelandic: utandyra — in the open air
  • Icelandic: utanhúss — in the open air
  • Icelandic: undir berum himni — in the open air
  • Ingrian: uulitsalle — in the open air
  • Ingrian: kujalle — in the open air
  • Ingrian: ikkunalle — in the open air
  • Ingrian: uulitsaal — in the open air
  • Ingrian: kujal — in the open air
  • Ingrian: ikkunaal — in the open air
  • Interlingua: al aere libere — in the open air
  • Irish: lasmuigh — in the open air
  • Italian: all'aperto — in the open air
  • Italian: all'aria aperta — in the open air
  • Italian: fuori — in the open air
  • Jamaican Creole: outaduo — in the open air
  • Japanese: 室外で (shitsugai de) — in the open air
  • Japanese: 屋外で (okugai de) — in the open air
  • Latin: forīs — in the open air
  • Latin: forās — in the open air
  • Māori: o waho — in the open air
  • Norwegian: utendørs — in the open air
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utadørs — in the open air
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: utandørs — in the open air
  • Old English: ūte — in the open air
  • Old English: ūt — in the open air
  • Polish: na zewnątrz — in the open air
  • Polish: na dworze — in the open air
  • Portuguese: ao ar livre — in the open air
  • Portuguese: a céu aberto — in the open air
  • Russian: снару́жи (snarúži) — in the open air
  • Spanish: al aire libre — in the open air
  • Spanish: a la intemperie — in the open air
  • Spanish: al fresco — in the open air
  • Swedish: utomhus — in the open air
  • Ottoman Turkish: طیشاری (dışarı) — in the open air
  • Ukrainian: надво́рі (nadvóri) — in the open air
  • Walloon: a l' ouxh — in the open air
  • Yiddish: דרויסן (droysn) — in the open air
  • Azerbaijani: bayır — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Azerbaijani: çöl — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Azerbaijani: eşik — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Azerbaijani: dış — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Finnish: luonto — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Finnish: ulkoilmaelämä — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • French: dehors — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Polish: dwór — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Spanish: aire libre — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Spanish: intemperie — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Thai: ข้างนอก (kâang-nɔ̂ɔk) — environment outside of enclosed structures
  • Czech: příroda — countryside away from cities
  • Polish: przyroda — countryside away from cities
  • Polish: natura — countryside away from cities
Real reading context

outdoors in complete knowledge articles