What Does To Boot Someone Out Mean?

Boot Someone Out Meaning

Definition: To force someone to leave a place unceremoniously.

This phrasal verb means to make someone leave a place because he or she is no longer wanted there. This could be a physical location, or it could be a place in a group, job, or competition.

The person being booted out does not want to leave nor is he or she ready to leave, but, having done something wrong to warrant an expulsion, the individual is forced out. Because of this, the person often leaves in disgrace or quietly without attention.

It’s similar to the phrase kick someone out, which means the same thing.

Origin of To Boot Someone Out

meaning of boot you outThe phrasal verb kick out, meaning expel, has been in use since the 1690s. Boot has meant kick in American English since the late 1800s, probably because you wear a boot on your foot.

However, the exact origins of this phrase are unknown.

Examples of To Boot Someone Out

In the modern day, people boot someone out when they force a person to leave against his or her will.

For example,

  • His wife booted him out of the house when it was discovered he had been cheating.

meaning out boot you outIt is also common to use boot out in competitions when a contender is eliminated, as in,

  • He was booted out of the singing competition after the third week.

Here is an example dialogue between two people at a bar,

Autumn: Did you see what just happened?

Zak: No, what happened?

Autumn: They just booted that tall guy out of the bar because he was trying to get in a fight.

Zak: Good. That guy has been causing a commotion all night long.

More Examples

  • In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil was humiliated by Germany, which booted them out of the semi-finals with an embarrassing score of 7-1. –Aussie Network News
  • My guests knew I was in the habit of turning in for bed early (I had booted them out before 10pm in the past) and were surprised that I was tolerating their presence for so long. –The Middle Ground

Summary

The phrase to boot someone out is to make a person leave before he is ready, either because he has done something wrong or because he is simply no longer wanted.

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