on the outside

adverb
UK: /ˌɒn ðə ˈaʊtsaɪd/
US: /ˌɑːn ðə ˈaʊtsaɪd/

  1. Appearing to be a certain way, but possibly not being so in reality.

    1. He seems happy, but on the outside, he's hurting. [ ] [ ]
    2. The building looks sturdy on the outside, but structural engineers reported significant internal damage. [ ] [ ]

  2. Not belonging to or being part of a particular group or organization.

    1. She looks intimidating, but on the outside, she wants to be liked. [ ] [ ]
    2. The security guard was on the outside of the building when the alarm went off. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

apparently outwardly
on the outside preposition

  1. Superficially; from an external perspective.

    1. On the outside, it looked fine. [ ] [ ]
    2. On the outside, the company seemed successful, but it was struggling financially. [ ] [ ]

  2. Physically located on or near the exterior surface.

    1. The car was dirty on the outside. [ ] [ ]
    2. The paint was chipping on the outside of the old house. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "on the outside" in English means: Appearing to be a certain way, but possibly not being so in reality., Not belonging to or being part of a particular group or organization..

The phonetic transcription of "on the outside" is /ˌɒn ðə ˈaʊtsaɪd/ in British English and /ˌɑːn ðə ˈaʊtsaɪd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "on the outside": apparently, outwardly.

Example usage of "on the outside": "He seems happy, but on the outside, he's hurting.". More examples on the page.