Meanings
verbbutt out (third-person singular simple present butts out, present participle butting out, simple past and past participle butted out)
present singular third person butts out · participle present butting out · participle past butted out · past butted out
- CanadaUSderogatoryintransitiveslangTo stop interfering; mind one's own business.
- idiomaticimperativeTo tell someone rudely to leave them alone or not get involved in what they're doing.
The government should butt out of people's private lives.
Origin
Modelled after butt in.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Esperanto ne enmiksiĝi, ĉesi enmiksiĝi
- ne enmiksiĝito stop interfering
- ĉesi enmiksiĝito stop interfering
Polish odczepiać się, odczepić się
- odczepiać sięto stop interfering
- odczepić sięto stop interfering
Yiddish נישט מישן זיך, אַרויסמישן זיך
- נישט מישן זיך (nisht mishn zikh)to stop interfering
- אַרויסמישן זיך (aroysmishn zikh)to stop interfering
Cite this entry
APA
butt out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20out
MLA
“butt out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20out. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butt out,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20out.
Source: butt out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.