1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

outcast

noun

ˈau̇t-ˌkast How to pronounce outcast (audio)
Definition of outcastnext
as in reject
one who is cast out or rejected by society the professor is something of an outcast in the halls of academe now that his former support of a dictatorial regime has become public

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outcast Whether others saw a sinner, a hypocrite, an outcast, or even an enemy, Jesus continued to behold the perfect man. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026 Once a refuge for long-haired hippies, artists, and outcasts, the White Isle is now drenched in superclubs, each bigger, louder, and more theatrical than the next. — Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026 Rahm Emanuel, a former congressman, White House chief of staff and mayor of Chicago, made a stop at Tel Aviv University in July to excoriate Netanyahu for turning Israel into an international outcast. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 Those accused became social outcasts, leading to eviction notices from landlords, pink slips, club membership revocation and divorces. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outcast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outcast
  1. reject
  2. pariah
  3. leper
  4. castaway
  5. castoff
Noun
  • And both the immune and eliminated designers are high on their own power; Elizabeth, in particular, is acting mighty haughty for a woman whose ruffled scarlet satin dress looks like a reject from the Westworld costume department.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • The most opinionated of these rejects is Smarty Pants, a basic toilet-training tech tool given an amusingly snarky attitude by Conan O’Brien.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
Definition of reject
Noun
  • Neither will the hapless farmer’s mane, soon rendering him a yeti-like village pariah.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Lineage has been a pariah in the community, with residents and Los Angeles officials speaking out after the company missed the city’s 45-day deadline to remove the waste.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pariah
Noun
  • The best part of the movie is Murray Bartlett’s wise leper, a man who for the vast majority of his screen time is covered head to toe.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Robin also strikes up a friendship with a soulful, philosophical leper (Murray Bartlett, covered in wrappings from head to toe), who somehow recognizes his good qualities.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Definition of leper
Noun
  • Meet the 'Survivor' 51 castaways Are there any players from Michigan on 'Survivor' 51?
    — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • On Survivor, the strongest castaways are often eliminated early because they are perceived as threats.
    — Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of castaway
Noun
  • Hsu maps a Los Angeles of leftovers and castoffs; portraits of friends and strangers in the street are full of dazed, inscrutable expressions.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Veteran Sam Okuayinonu figures to start at one spot, but a trade acquisition or a castoff veteran could, too.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of castoff

Browse Nearby Words

outbursts
outcast
outcasts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outcast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outcast. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All