Farm sb out Meaning / Examples / How to Use

What Does “Farm sb out” Mean?

“Farm sb out” means to send someone, often a child or a worker, to live or work with another person or organization temporarily. It usually implies delegating responsibility to others.

Introduction

The phrase “farm sb out” is an informal phrasal verb used mainly in British and American English. It often refers to the act of sending a person, such as a child, employee, or dependent, to another family, employer, or institution for care, work, or supervision. Understanding the “farm sb out meaning” helps learners recognize how this phrase is used in different contexts, especially when talking about childcare, temporary employment, or delegating tasks. Though it can sound a bit negative, it simply means that the person is placed somewhere else to be looked after or managed. This phrase is useful in both spoken and written English, especially in informal conversations or storytelling.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: farm somebody out
• Type: transitive
• Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
• Short meaning: To send someone to live or work with another person or organization temporarily

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Farm sb out” is a transitive phrasal verb, meaning it always requires an object (someone who is being farmed out). The verb is inseparable, so the object must come immediately after the verb. For example:

• Correct: They farmed the children out to relatives during the summer.
• Incorrect: They farmed out the children to relatives.

Here, “sb” (somebody) is the direct object and cannot be separated from “farm” by the particle “out”.

How to Use “Farm sb out”?

You use “farm sb out” when you want to express that someone is being sent to another place or person for care or work. It is often used when a parent sends a child to stay with relatives, or when an employer sends workers to another company temporarily. It can also be used metaphorically to mean delegating tasks or responsibilities to others instead of handling them yourself.

Examples

Imagine a parent who has to work long hours and sends their child to stay with a neighbor. You could say:

• During the busy season, many parents farm their children out to relatives for extra care.
• The company farmed out some of its staff to partner businesses to handle the increased workload.
• She farmed her little brother out to their aunt while she was away on a business trip.
• With so much to do, he farmed the project out to his team instead of doing it alone.

These sentences show “farm sb out” in different contexts involving people being temporarily placed elsewhere or tasks being delegated.

Common Mistakes

Sometimes learners confuse the word order or use the phrase incorrectly by separating the verb and particle. For example:

• Incorrect: They farmed out the children to relatives.
• Correct: They farmed the children out to relatives.
• Incorrect: She farmed out her brother to their aunt.
• Correct: She farmed her brother out to their aunt.

Remember, “farm sb out” is inseparable, so the object must come between “farm” and “out.”

Differences / Synonyms

“Farm sb out” is similar to phrases like “send sb away,” “delegate,” or “outsource” depending on the context. However, “farm sb out” specifically implies placing a person temporarily under someone else’s care or responsibility, often informally.

• Send sb away: More general, can mean permanently or temporarily sending someone away.
• Delegate: Usually refers to giving work or tasks to someone else, not necessarily involving care.
• Outsource: Used mainly in business to describe hiring a third party to do work.

So, “farm sb out” often blends care and delegation, particularly with people rather than tasks.

Common Collocations

When using “farm sb out,” certain nouns commonly follow the phrase. These include:

• Children: Sending kids to relatives or caregivers temporarily.
• Workers/employees: Temporarily assigning staff to other companies.
• Projects/tasks: When used metaphorically to mean delegating work.
• Relatives/friends: People who take care of the person being farmed out.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of farm sb out:

• Farm Sth Out

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “farm sb out”:

Anna: I heard you’re really busy with work these days. What about the kids?

Mark: Yeah, I’ve had to farm them out to my sister while I finish this project.

Anna: That’s helpful. It’s good to have family support.

Practice

Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “farm sb out”:

• During the holidays, many parents ______ their children ______ to grandparents.
• The manager decided to ______ the new tasks ______ to his team members.
• Because of the long trip, she had to ______ her pet ______ to a neighbor.

FAQs

• What does “farm sb out” mean? It means sending someone to live or work with another person temporarily.
• Is “farm sb out” formal or informal? It is mostly informal and used in everyday speech.
• Can “farm sb out” be used for tasks? Yes, it can be used metaphorically to mean delegating tasks.
• Is the phrase separable? No, the object must come between “farm” and “out.”
• Can this phrase be used for animals? It’s uncommon but possible when referring to sending animals to another farm or caretaker.