count out

To leave someone out of an activity or decide they cannot succeed.

• Count me out of the trip.
• They counted him out, but he won.
• You cannot count out this team yet.

How to use it: count someone out of something (Don’t count her out of the race yet.)

Similar words: exclude, rule out

Opposites: include

Common phrases: count someone out, count out a team

To count things one by one while putting them aside or giving them to someone.

• Count out six cards.
• He counted out the money and handed it over.
• She carefully counted out three tablets for each patient.

How to use it: count something out (She counted the coins out onto the table.)

Common phrases: count out the money, count out ten coins

To declare a fighter beaten because they do not get up before the referee finishes counting.

• The referee counted him out.
• She was counted out after falling in the fourth round.
• The fighter rose just before he could be counted out.

How to use it: be counted out (The boxer was counted out in the second round.)

Common phrases: count someone out, count out a boxer

To end a parliamentary meeting because too few members are present.

• The House was counted out.
• The Speaker counted out the sitting after checking attendance.
• Too few members remained, so the House was counted out.

Similar words: adjourn

Common phrases: count out the house, count out a sitting

To keep a rightful election winner out of office by falsely counting or reporting votes.

• Officials counted the winner out.
• They counted her out by changing the vote totals.
• The elected candidate was counted out and never took office.

Common phrases: count someone out, count out a candidate