eat out

Meaning

This phrasal verb means to have a meal at a restaurant, cafe, or diner rather than cooking and eating at home. It is a neutral expression used in both casual and formal contexts when discussing dining preferences.

Examples

• We don't feel like cooking tonight, so let's eat out.

  We don't feel like cooking tonight, so let's eat out.

• Eating out every day can become very expensive.

  Eating out every day can become very expensive.

• How often do you eat out with your family?

  How often do you eat out with your family?

• They decided to eat out at a fancy Italian restaurant for their anniversary.

  They decided to eat out at a fancy Italian restaurant for their anniversary.

• I love eating out because I don't have to do the dishes.

  I love eating out because I don't have to do the dishes.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Let's eat out of the house tonight.

  ✓ Let's eat out tonight.

  'Eat out' already implies dining outside of your home, usually at a restaurant. Adding 'of the house' is incorrect and redundant.

• ✗ We ate out a restaurant yesterday.

  ✓ We ate out at a restaurant yesterday.

  If you want to specify the location, you must use the preposition 'at' after 'eat out'. Alternatively, you can just say 'We ate at a restaurant'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I'm too tired to cook, so we should ___ tonight.

  💡 go to a restaurant

  Show answer

  eat out

• If you want to save money, you should stop ___ so much.

  💡 dining at restaurants

  Show answer

  eating out