all-out

American  

[awl-out] / ˈɔlˌaʊt /

adjective

1. using all one's resources; complete; total.

   an all-out effort.

   Synonyms:

   unremitting, exhaustive, unstinting

---

all-out British  

adjective

1. using one's maximum powers

   an all-out effort

---

adverb

1. to one's maximum effort or capacity

   he went all out on the home stretch

all out Idioms  

1. With all one's strength, ability, or resources; not holding back. For example, They are going all out to make the fund-raiser a success. This seemingly modern term dates from about 1300, when it meant “completely” or “wholly.” It now refers to making a great effort and is also used adjectivally, as in an all-out effort. This usage became current in America in the late 1800s, with reference to races and other kinds of athletic exertion. In the mid-1900s it gave rise to the phrase to go all out and was transferred to just about any energetic undertaking. Also see go whole hog.

---

Usage

What does all-out mean? All-out describes using all of your resources or energy to accomplish something, as in Talya made an all-out effort on her midterm exams.The related phrase all out usually follows go and means to make a total effort, as in Jamal’s parents really went all out for his birthday party, treating all the guests to helicopter rides! Example: The away team won the game because they went for an all-out attack on the home team.

Etymology

Origin of all-out

1905–10; adj. use of all out utterly, completely, Middle English al out

Example Sentences

Don’t go all-in on stocks and definitely don’t go all-out.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

That kind of flexibility leads to spontaneous nights where what started off as an intimate hang expands into an all-out party.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

As the head of Japan’s Kwantung army in Manchuria, he flouted orders from Tokyo and maneuvered the government into an aggressive foreign policy that culminated in all-out war with China in 1937.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Those are not all-out bearish signs, but they are definitely indications that traders are still showing some concern through the volatility-based products.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

Would an all-out rupture between the two of them cause the whole civil rights movement to lose ground?

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• full-blown
• full-scale