lock out

verb

To inadvertently prevent (a person, particularly oneself) from entering a place, by leaving it locked.

“I've locked myself out of my room again!”

Opposite
let inlock in
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Meanings

verblock out (third-person singular simple present locks out, present participle locking out, simple past and past participle locked out)

present singular third person locks out · participle present locking out · participle past locked out · past locked out

  1. transitiveTo inadvertently prevent (a person, particularly oneself) from entering a place, by leaving it locked.

    I've locked myself out of my room again!

    Antonyms: let in, lock in

  2. computingTo prevent from accessing a data structure.

    The synchronize keyword locks out all other threads trying to access the object.

  3. transitive(industrial) To prevent (a person, including oneself) from powering up or turning on a machine when doing so would be dangerous (accomplished with objects such as padlocks or zip ties placed through the switch handle, for example)
  4. intransitivetransitive(colloquial, sometimes humorous) To be unable to concentrate.

    Bro, I am totally locked out on this assignment.

nounlock out (plural lock outs)

plural lock outs

  1. misspellingMisspelling of lockout.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo inadvertently prevent (a person, particularly oneself) from entering a place, by leaving it locked.

Opposite
let inlock in

Translations

Finnish teljetä
  • teljetäinadvertently prevent from entering a place
German aussperren, Aussperrung
  • aussperreninadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • Aussperrungan event in which an employer bars employees from working
Italian escludere, chiudersi fuori
  • escludereinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • chiudersi fuoriinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • escludereprevent from accessing a data structure
  • serrataan event in which an employer bars employees from working
Polish zamykać przypadkowo, zamknąć przypadkowo
  • zamykać przypadkowoinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • zamknąć przypadkowoinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • zakluczaćinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • zakluczyćinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • zamykać na kluczprevent from accessing a data structure
  • zamknąć na kluczprevent from accessing a data structure
  • lokautan event in which an employer bars employees from working
Portuguese trancar para fora
  • trancar para forainadvertently prevent from entering a place
Swedish låsa ute, lockout
  • låsa uteinadvertently prevent from entering a place
  • lockoutan event in which an employer bars employees from working
Cite this entry
APA

lock out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lock%20out

MLA

“lock out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lock%20out. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lock out,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lock%20out.

Source: lock out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.