Phrase guide

point out

verb · 5 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

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • He pointed out the little brown bird in the tree.
  • She pointed out the two drummers in the class.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To tell, remind, indicate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, idiomatic

Examples

  • I would just like to point out that we need to finish our meeting by 9 o'clock.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

point out carefully and clearly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: signalize, signalise, call attention

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indicate, point, designate, show

4

verb

Meaning 4

present and urge reasons in opposition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: remonstrate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inform

Narrower terms: represent

5

verb

Meaning 5

make or write a comment on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he commented the paper of his colleague

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: comment, notice, remark

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: note, observe, mention, remark

Narrower terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart, wisecrack, kibitz, kibbitz

History

Etymology

From point and out. Instead of pointing to a particular thing, the term implies pointing to one particular thing out of several similar things, or to a thing in a scene where it might not be readily seen.

Across languages

Translations

98 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَشَارَ (ʔašāra) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Assamese: আঙুলিয়া (aṅulia) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Bulgarian: посо́чвам (posóčvam) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Bulgarian: посо́ча (posóča) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Bulgarian: ука́звам (ukázvam) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Bulgarian: ука́жа (ukáža) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Catalan: assenyalar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Catalan: apuntar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 指 (zhǐ) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 指出 (zhǐchū) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Czech: ukazovat — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Czech: ukázat — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Dutch: aanwijzen — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Dutch: aanduiden — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Dutch: tonen — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Esperanto: rimarkigi — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Finnish: osoittaa — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Finnish: näyttää — identify with a bodily gesture
  • French: pointer — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Galician: sinalar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • German: hinweisen — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Greek: δείχνω (deíchno) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Ancient Greek: δείκνυμι (deíknumi) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Ido: indikar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Ingrian: näyttää — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Italian: additare — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Japanese: 指す (sasu) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Japanese: 指し示す (sashishimesu) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Korean: 가리키다 (garikida) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Latin: addigito — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Malayalam: ചൂണ്ടിക്കാണിക്കുക (cūṇṭikkāṇikkuka) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Māori: whakahahaki — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Polish: wskazywać — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Polish: wskazać — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Portuguese: apontar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Russian: ука́зывать (ukázyvatʹ) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Russian: указа́ть (ukazátʹ) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Sanskrit: दिशति (diśati) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Spanish: señalar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Spanish: apuntar — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Tamil: சுட்டிக்காட்டு (cuṭṭikkāṭṭu) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Tamil: குறிப்பிடு (kuṟippiṭu) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Ukrainian: вка́зувати (vkázuvaty) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Ukrainian: вказа́ти (vkazáty) — identify with a bodily gesture
  • Assamese: আঙুলিয়া (aṅulia) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Bulgarian: изтъквам (iztǎkvam) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Catalan: indicar — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Czech: upozorňovat — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Czech: upozornit — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Dutch: uiteenzetten — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Dutch: aanduiden — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Dutch: aangeven — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Dutch: erop wijzen — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Esperanto: indiki — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Esperanto: montri — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Esperanto: rimarkigi — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Finnish: tuoda esille — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Finnish: huomauttaa — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • French: indiquer — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Galician: indicar — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • German: aufzeigen — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • German: darauf hinweisen — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Greek: δείχνω (deíchno) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ancient Greek: δείκνυμι (deíknumi) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Hungarian: felhívja a figyelmet — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Icelandic: benda á — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Irish: cuir in iúl — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Old Irish: in·fét — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Italian: indicare — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Italian: puntualizzare — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Italian: osservare — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Italian: evidenziare — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Japanese: 示す (shimesu) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Latin: mōnstrō — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Malayalam: ചൂണ്ടിക്കാണിക്കുക (cūṇṭikkāṇikkuka) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Māori: whakaatuatu — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Polish: zwracać uwagę — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Polish: zwrócić uwagę — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Polish: przypominać — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Polish: przypomnieć — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Portuguese: destacar — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: ука́зывать (ukázyvatʹ) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: указа́ть (ukazátʹ) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: напомина́ть (napominátʹ) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: напо́мнить (napómnitʹ) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: привлека́ть внима́ние (privlekátʹ vnimánije) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Russian: привле́чь внима́ние (privléčʹ vnimánije) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Spanish: puntualizar — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Spanish: señalar — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Spanish: apercibir — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Swedish: påpeka — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: вка́зувати (vkázuvaty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: вказа́ти (vkazáty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: нага́дувати (naháduvaty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: нагада́ти (nahadáty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: зверта́ти ува́гу (zvertáty uváhu) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: зазнача́ти (zaznačáty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone
  • Ukrainian: зазна́чити (zaznáčyty) — tell, remind, indicate to someone