take out

3 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 invite someone to go somewhere fun like a restaurant or cinema B1
  2. 2 get an official document or service from an authority B2
  3. 3 show your anger or stress to someone who is not the cause of it B2
1 take sb out

invite someone to go somewhere fun like a restaurant or cinema

B1

What does "take out" mean in this sense?

To take someone out means to invite them to go somewhere enjoyable — like a restaurant, a bar, a cinema, or a show — and usually to pay for them or organise the outing. It can be romantic, like taking someone out on a first date, but it doesn't have to be. Parents take their kids out for ice cream, managers take their teams out for a celebration dinner, and colleagues take clients out for lunch. The key idea is that the person doing the 'taking out' is acting as the host — they're the one making the plan and typically covering the cost. It's a neutral, everyday expression that works in both casual conversation and professional situations.

Examples

How to use it

take + person + out (+ for/to + place or activity)

The most common structure, where a noun phrase comes between the verb and the particle, often followed by a destination or activity.

My manager took the whole team out for dinner after we finished the project.

take + pronoun + out

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'take' and 'out' — placing it after 'out' is not correct.

She hadn't been to a concert in years, so he took her out to see her favourite band.

take someone out + on a date / to + venue / for + meal or activity

Common collocations follow 'take someone out' to specify where or what the outing involves.

He'd been wanting to take her out on a date for weeks before he finally asked.

be taken out (to/for + place or activity)

The passive is natural when the focus is on the person who received the invitation or treat, rather than who organised it.

For her birthday, she was taken out to a fancy rooftop restaurant by her colleagues.

modal + take + person + out

Modal verbs combine naturally with this phrasal verb to make offers, suggestions, or plans.

We should take the new interns out for lunch so they feel welcome.

Common Collocations

take someone out for dinnertake someone out on a datetake the kids outtake a client outtake someone out for drinkstake someone out for their birthday

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placement

When the object is a pronoun (her, him, them, me), it must go between 'take' and 'out'. Putting the pronoun after 'out' is ungrammatical.

✗ He wanted to take out her to celebrate her promotion.
✓ He wanted to take her out to celebrate her promotion.
Confusing 'take out' with 'go out with'

'Take someone out' refers to one specific occasion — a single dinner, trip, or event. 'Go out with someone' means to be in an ongoing romantic relationship. Don't use them interchangeably.

✗ They've been taking each other out for two years now — it's getting serious.
✓ They've been going out with each other for two years now — it's getting serious.
Using a non-person object

In this sense, the object must be a person or group of people. If the object is a thing (like money, rubbish, or a document), the sentence belongs to a completely different meaning of 'take out'.

✗ I need to take out my passport from the drawer.
✓ I need to take out my colleague for a welcome lunch on her first day.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both casual and professional contexts. It often implies the person doing the 'taking out' will pay for the outing.

2 take sth out

get an official document or service from an authority

B2

Sense 2: What does "take sth out" mean?

This sense of 'take out' means to formally obtain an official financial or legal product — such as a loan, mortgage, insurance policy, or licence — from a bank, government body, or similar institution. Crucially, it implies that the process is complete and the person now holds that product, not just that they have requested it. It collocates almost exclusively with formal financial and legal terms, so you would never use it for informal agreements between friends. The phrase is neutral in tone and appears just as naturally in everyday conversation ('We took out a mortgage last year') as in written financial contexts. Both British and American English use it, though it is especially frequent in British English when discussing personal finance.

Examples

How to use it

take out + official product

The most common pattern — use it when naming the financial or legal product you have obtained.

He took out a loan to cover the cost of the repairs.

take + official product + out

Separation is natural and common with short noun phrases, and is often preferred in spoken English.

We took a joint bank account out when we moved in together.

take + pronoun + out

When replacing the object with a pronoun, separation is obligatory — the pronoun must go between the verb and the particle.

My car insurance was up for renewal, so I took it out again with the same company.

official product + be taken out

The passive form is natural, especially in formal writing such as financial advice, journalism, or legal documents.

A large mortgage was taken out to finance the purchase of the building.

need to / want to / decide to + take out + official product

Infinitive constructions with modal-like verbs are very common when talking about plans or requirements.

You may need to take out additional cover if you plan to travel frequently.

Common Collocations

a loana mortgageinsurancea policya subscriptiona patent

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placement

When you use a pronoun instead of the full noun phrase, it must go between 'take' and 'out'. Placing the pronoun after 'out' is incorrect.

✗ I decided to take out it before the deadline.
✓ I decided to take it out before the deadline.
Confusing 'take out' with 'apply for'

'Apply for' describes making a request, while 'take out' means you have already successfully obtained the product. Avoid using 'take out' when the outcome is still uncertain or pending.

✗ She is taking out a mortgage at the moment, but the bank hasn't approved it yet.
✓ She has applied for a mortgage, but the bank hasn't approved it yet.
Using it for informal arrangements

'Take out' in this sense only works with official financial or legal products from recognised institutions. It cannot be used for casual or informal agreements.

✗ We took out an agreement with our neighbour to share the parking space.
✓ We made an informal agreement with our neighbour to share the parking space.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and is used in both spoken and written English. It specifically refers to formally obtaining official financial or legal documents and services, so it cannot be used for informal agreements.

3 take out on sb

show your anger or stress to someone who is not the cause of it

B2

Sense 3: What does "take out on sb" mean?

To take something out on someone means to express your anger, stress, or frustration at a person who had nothing to do with what upset you in the first place. The emotion comes from somewhere else — a difficult day, a disappointment, a problem at work — but instead of dealing with it directly, you direct it at someone nearby. There is always an element of unfairness built into the meaning: the person on the receiving end doesn't deserve it. The phrase implies self-awareness, at least from an outside perspective — the speaker or observer recognises that the wrong person is being blamed or punished. It is most commonly heard in everyday conversations, arguments between people who know each other well, and advice about managing emotions.

Examples

How to use it

take it out on + person

The most common pattern by far — 'it' refers to a feeling like stress or anger, even when that feeling has already been named.

He had a terrible day at work and came home and took it out on everyone around him.

take + emotion + out on + person

Used when the speaker wants to name the specific emotion being misdirected, making the phrasing slightly more deliberate or emphatic.

She admitted she had been taking her stress out on her flatmates without realising it.

don't take it out on + person (imperative)

The negative imperative is one of the most frequent real-world uses, often said by someone defending themselves from unfair treatment.

Don't take it out on me just because your presentation didn't go well.

be / get taken out on + person (passive)

The passive is used when the focus is on the person being treated unfairly rather than the one doing it.

I'm fed up with being taken out on every time something goes wrong upstairs.

keep / stop + taking it out on + person

Often used with verbs like 'stop', 'keep', or 'can't keep' to describe a repeated pattern of behaviour.

You need to stop taking it out on your sister — she hasn't done anything wrong.

Common Collocations

take it out on metake it out on your partnertake your frustration out ontake your stress out ontake your anger out ontake it out on the wrong person

Common Mistakes

Missing object between 'take' and 'out'

Learners often drop the pronoun 'it' and say 'take out on', but there must always be an object — usually 'it' — between 'take' and 'out'. Without it, the sentence is ungrammatical.

✗ Don't take out on me because you had a bad day.
✓ Don't take it out on me because you had a bad day.
Confusing with 'pick on'

'Take out on' describes redirecting your own stress or frustration at an innocent person — the key idea is that something else caused the feeling. 'Pick on' means repeatedly targeting or bullying someone, and doesn't require the person doing it to be stressed or upset about something else.

✗ He's always stressed at work, so he picks on his colleagues.
✓ He's always stressed at work, so he takes it out on his colleagues.
Wrong word order with full noun objects

The object must come between 'take' and 'out', never after 'on'. The fixed order is 'take [object] out on [person]', not 'take out on [person] your anger'.

✗ She took out on her brother her frustration about the exam.
✓ She took her frustration out on her brother.

Usage

This phrasal verb is informal and most common in spoken English. The structure is almost always 'take it out on [person]', where 'it' refers to a feeling like stress or anger — even if that feeling has already been mentioned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'take someone out' always mean it's romantic?

No, it doesn't have to be romantic at all. You can take a friend out for coffee, take your parents out for their anniversary, or take a client out for lunch. The romantic meaning is just one common context — the core idea is simply that you invite someone somewhere and usually pay or organise the outing.

Does 'take someone out' mean the person doing it always pays?

Not always, but it strongly implies it. The person who 'takes someone out' is acting as the host, so paying is the natural expectation in most contexts — especially on a date or in a business situation. In informal contexts among friends, the meaning can be a bit looser.

Can I say 'I am taking her out tonight'?

This sounds a little unnatural unless you are literally in the process of going out at that moment. It's more natural to say 'I'm going to take her out tonight' or 'I'm taking her out tonight' only if you mean it as a fixed plan in the near future — similar to how English uses the present continuous for arrangements. For general statements about plans, 'going to' or the present perfect ('Have you taken her out yet?') tend to feel more natural.

What kinds of places or activities can you 'take someone out' to?

The range is very wide — restaurants, bars, cafés, cinemas, theatres, concerts, and sports events are all common. You can also use 'for' with a meal or activity: take someone out for dinner, for drinks, for lunch, or for coffee. The only real rule is that it should be a social or recreational occasion, not an errand or a work meeting.

Can 'take out' be used without saying where you're going?

Yes, you can use it without mentioning a specific destination — for example, 'He took her out for the evening' or 'We took the kids out.' The destination or activity is often implied by the context, so you don't always need to spell it out.

Can I say 'I am taking out a mortgage right now'?

This sounds unnatural. 'Take out' in this sense doesn't work well in the present continuous. Instead, use the present perfect ('I've just taken out a mortgage') or a construction like 'I'm in the process of getting a mortgage' if the process is ongoing.

What kinds of things can you 'take out'?

This sense is limited to official financial and legal products — things like loans, mortgages, insurance policies, pensions, subscriptions, patents, licences, leases, and contracts. The common thread is that they come from a formal institution such as a bank, insurer, or government body.

Does 'take out' always mean obtaining an official document?

No — 'take out' has several different meanings depending on context. For example, it can mean removing something from a place, taking someone on a social outing, or (informally) destroying something. The key to this particular sense is the object: if it's a financial or legal product like a loan or policy, this is the meaning in play.

Is the passive form natural with this meaning?

Yes, the passive works well, particularly in formal or written contexts. You might see it in financial articles or legal documents: for example, 'A loan was taken out to fund the new project.' It's less common in casual spoken English, where active forms are preferred.

Is 'take out' more British or American English?

It's used in both, but it's particularly frequent in British English for talking about personal finance — for instance, 'taking out insurance' or 'taking out a policy' are very natural in everyday British conversation. American English also uses it, though speakers may sometimes prefer 'get' in more casual contexts.

Can I use 'take out on' without saying what the person is angry about?

Yes, and this is very common. In natural conversation, the context usually makes it clear enough, and 'it' covers the feeling without naming it. For example, 'Stop taking it out on me' works perfectly even if the exact cause of the stress hasn't been mentioned.

Is 'take it out on' only used to criticise someone, or can I use it about myself?

You can absolutely use it about yourself — and it often sounds more mature or self-aware when you do. Phrases like 'I realise I've been taking it out on you' or 'I tend to take it out on the people closest to me' are completely natural and commonly used in honest conversations or apologies.

Does 'take out on' always involve anger, or can it be used for other feelings?

It most often refers to anger, frustration, or stress, but it can cover any negative emotion that gets misdirected — anxiety, sadness, disappointment, or general bad mood. The key is that the feeling has an external cause that has nothing to do with the person being targeted.

Can I say 'take everything out on someone'?

Yes, 'take everything out on someone' is a natural and fairly common expression. It suggests that all of the speaker's accumulated stress or frustration is being directed at one unfortunate person, and it often sounds more dramatic or exaggerated than just 'take it out on someone'.

Is 'take it out on' used mainly in spoken English?

It is most at home in informal spoken English and casual writing — conversations, text messages, advice articles, and similar contexts. It would sound out of place in formal or academic writing, where you'd be more likely to describe the behaviour in other terms rather than use this phrase directly.

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