Outback Meaning
/ˈaʊtbæk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe most remote and desolate areas of Australia; the desert and areas too arid for growing crops.
adjCharacteristic of the most remote and desolate areas of Australia; very remote from urban areas.
Sentence Examples
Layla got lost in the outback.
Layla will spend the night in the outback.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
In Australia, the vast ____ is known for its red soil and kangaroos.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The travelers drove through the Australian ____ for three days without seeing another vehicle.
Word Origin & History
From out + back.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In the outback, many people live and work on sheep and cattle ranches."
— 2000, Shirley W. Gray, Australia, page 31:
"The outback′s rich, red soil looked like blood because of all the iron in it, and the vast land was so still and barren that it seemed lifeless."
— 2002, Erinn Banting., Australia: The People, page 20:
"Barely a bird and definitely none of my target species greeted the morning so I cut my losses and headed north through the staggeringly vast emptiness of the Outback."
— 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 254:
"Astronomers consider the outback area around Alice Springs — with its low pollution, low humidity and few light sources — to be among the best star-gazing locations on earth."
— 2010, Lonely Planet, BBC Earth, The Traveller′s Guide to Planet Earth, page 129:
"[…]the Civil Service Association is not particularly happy with the decision of the Government in regard to rents and the way they will be levied on its members in the more outback country areas."
— 1964, Western Australian Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, page 3081:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In Australia, the vast ____ is known for its red soil and kangaroos.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The travelers drove through the Australian ____ for three days without seeing another vehicle.