outstep

verb

"outstep" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outstep” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To step or go beyond; exceed; overstep.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outstep · outstep · English

outstep · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for outstep
PropertyValue
Headwordoutstep
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “outstep” in English

outstepranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outstep is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To step or go beyond; exceed; overstep.".

outstep has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From out- + step. The correct English form is outstep, spelled O-U-T-S-T-E-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To step or go beyond; exceed; overstep.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how outstep appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. “We cannot suppose,” said Emma, smiling, “that Mr. Elton would hesitate to assure you of there being a very musical society in Highbury; and I hope you will not find he has outstepped the truth more than may be pardoned, in consideration of the motive.”

Etymology

From out- + step.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "outstep"?
"outstep" is spelled O-U-T-S-T-E-P.
What does "outstep" mean?
As a verb, "outstep" means: To step or go beyond; exceed; overstep.
What is the origin of the word "outstep"?
From out- + step. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list