outdoors

outdoors — adverb

1. outside a building, with no roof over you

1.adverbB1
Definition

outside a building, with no roof over you

Example

The children ate outdoors under a striped tent by the lake.

verb + outdoors for location

After the kitchen filled with smoke, everyone waited outdoors.

Common collocations
  • eat outdoors
  • sleep outdoors
  • wait outdoors
  • study outdoors
  • served outdoors
Synonyms
  • outside

    is the closest everyday alternative and is more common in many situations

  • out

    is more conversational and can have other meanings besides being outside

  • in the open air

    is less common and sounds more literary or old-fashioned

Antonyms
  • indoors

    inside a building

  • inside

    general opposite for being within a building

Grammar Patterns

eat outdoors

sleep outdoors

go outdoors

Usage Note

Often follows verbs like eat, play, wait, and sleep. Distinguish from noun/1, which names outdoor life or space itself and usually appears as 'the outdoors'.

Common Mistakes

We stayed at outdoors after lunch.
We stayed outdoors after lunch.
do not use 'at' before this adverb.
We had an outdoors lunch.
We had an outdoor lunch.' / 'We ate outdoors at lunch.
outdoors is not used before a noun.

outdoors — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

For adverb/1, outdoors and outside are close, but outside is the more common everyday choice and fits almost any situation, especially after movement verbs like go, step, or wait. Outdoors is slightly more descriptive and often appears with activities people spend time doing, such as eat, sleep, play, or work. Out is shorter and more conversational, but it is broader: it can mean outside, away from home, or available to be seen. In the open air is less common and sounds more literary or old-fashioned, often adding the idea of fresh air or nature. Compare: The children played outdoors all afternoon, She stepped outside to answer the phone, and We ate in the open air beside the river.

outside ↗out ↗in the open air

Etymology

English

Outdoors grew out of the older English phrase 'out of doors', which literally meant being outside the house. English later compressed the phrase into one word and began using it both as an adverb and as a noun for outdoor space or outdoor life.