all out
all out — adjective
1. giving all your energy, attention, or resources to one purpose, without holding
giving all your energy, attention, or resources to one purpose, without holding anything back or keeping any option unused
Theo made an all-out effort to learn Portuguese before his trip to Brazil.
collocation: all-out effort
Kwame led an all-out effort to save the village school after the roof collapsed in the storm.
collocation: all-out effort + to-infinitive
Shirin's all-out campaign for school president won her nearly every vote.
The fire crew fought an all-out battle to save the wooden church.
Reema's all-out commitment to the dance show meant practising seven days a week.
- wholehearted
emphasises emotional sincerity more than physical effort or resources
- full-scale
stresses scope and magnitude rather than personal commitment
- unreserved
suggests holding nothing back, often used for abstract qualities like praise or apology
- half-hearted
lacking full commitment or enthusiasm
用法筆記
Typically hyphenated (all-out) when placed before the noun it modifies. The adverb form after a verb is written as two separate words: 'go all out'.
常見錯誤
2. in cricket, when a team stops batting because every player who could bat has bee
in cricket, when a team stops batting because every player who could bat has been got out by the other side and no batters remain
After a stunning bowling spell, the West Indies were all out for just 112 runs before the lunch break.
cricket: score reporting with '[score] all out'
Minh was disappointed when his side were all out with twenty overs still remaining.
After losing three quick wickets, Bangladesh were all out in under two hours on a difficult pitch.
The crowd fell silent as the final batsman was caught and the team were all out.
Pakistan were all out for 245, leaving England a modest target to chase.
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in cricket contexts. Always follows the verb in predicative position — never placed before a noun. Common in British, Australian, and South Asian English.
all out — adverb
1. putting every available resource and all your energy into reaching a goal, with
putting every available resource and all your energy into reaching a goal, with nothing left unused or held back
Tamar went all out to win the scholarship, staying up late every night to study.
go all out + to-infinitive
The restaurant went all out for its tenth anniversary, offering free meals to regular customers.
go all out + for [event]
Joaquín decided to go all out and ask his boss for a promotion during the review.
The children went all out decorating the classroom for the end-of-year party.
Eshe and her band went all out at the festival, playing their hearts out for the huge crowd.
- wholeheartedly
stresses emotional sincerity over the breadth of resources deployed
- flat out
informal; emphasises speed and relentless pace more than 'all out' does
- full throttle
suggests maximum speed or intensity, often used for physical action
- half-heartedly
without full effort or genuine commitment
文法句型
go + all out + to-infinitive
go + all out + for + noun
用法筆記
Almost always follows the verb 'go' (go all out). Not hyphenated — the hyphenated form is for the adjective. Also used with verbs like 'compete', 'fight', and 'try'.
常見錯誤
2. at the moment a cricket team's turn at batting ends because every batter has bee
at the moment a cricket team's turn at batting ends because every batter has been got out and no one is left to bat
The innings closed with Sri Lanka all out for 187, leaving New Zealand a chase of under two hundred.
cricket: marks the moment an innings finishes
Fatima's college side were all out before lunch on the opening day of the tournament.
The scoreboard showed 134 all out after a disastrous batting performance.
Luca watched helplessly as his club were bowled all out for under fifty.
用法筆記
Used in cricket score reporting and match commentary. Appears after verbs like 'close', 'finish', 'be dismissed', 'be bowled'. British, Australian, and South Asian English.