Meaning & use
item out of stock
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A product that a shop or website cannot supply right now because none are left.
Grammar: Often written as a status label, as in 'Item out of stock'; in full sentences say 'The item is out of stock.'
Patterns
- an item is out of stock
- items out of stock
- be out of stock of something
The jacket I wanted was out of stock in my size.
The website shows 'item out of stock' next to the blue backpack.
We are out of stock of that model until Friday.
phrasefixed phrase
Not available for purchase at the moment, used about goods in a store or online.
Grammar: Used after 'be' or 'go': 'It went out of stock quickly.' The opposite is 'in stock'.
Patterns
- go out of stock
- be out of stock
- come back in stock
Those boots went out of stock within an hour of the sale.
If the item is out of stock, you can ask to be notified when it returns.
Sorry, that color is out of stock right now.
Common combinations
- temporarily out of stock
- The headphones are temporarily out of stock and should arrive next week.
- out of stock online
- The book is out of stock online but available in the shop.
- go out of stock
- Popular toys often go out of stock before the holidays.
- back in stock
- The shoes are back in stock, so I ordered a pair.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unavailable
- Broader and more formal; it can mean anything cannot be had, not just shop goods.
- sold out
- Close in meaning, but it stresses that everything was sold, while 'out of stock' can also mean the shop simply has not received new supplies.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: item out of stock or out of order?
item out of stock vs out of order
'Out of order' means a machine is broken, not that a product is unavailable.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Out of stock' describes goods a shop cannot supply: 'The item is out of stock.' Option 1 confuses it with 'out of order' (broken). Option 3 uses the wrong pattern; say 'out of stock in my size'. Option 4 wrongly applies it to a person's energy.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “item out of stock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.