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come out of the closet

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come out of the closet

1. to be willing to talk in public about something that was kept secret The biggest surprise was that so many viewers came out of the closet and publicly supported the show.

2. to announce that you are attracted to people of the same sex come out Not all gays come out of the closet, either because they don't want to or don't need to.

Usage notes: sometimes used without come in both meanings: We're bringing adoption out of the closet and trying to make people more comfortable with it. He's out of the closet with his friends, but not at work.

See also: closet, come, of, out

come out of the closet

 

1. to talk in public about something which you kept secret in the past because you were embarrassed about it It's time hairy women came out of the closet. It's a problem that affects all women to a greater or lesser degree.

2. to tell people that you are homosexual (= sexually attracted to people of the same sex as you) so that it is no longer a secret He finally decided to come out of the closet so his mother would stop asking him why he wasn't married.

See also: closet, come, of, out

come out of the closet

in. to appear publicly as a homosexual; to cease concealing one’s homosexuality. (The phrase has many nonsexual metaphorical meanings.) They say he came out of the closet when he was eight years old.

See also: closet, come, of, out