outcast

1 of 2

noun

out·​cast ˈau̇t-ˌkast 

1

: one that is cast out or refused acceptance (as by society)

2

[Scots cast out to quarrel] Scotland : quarrel

outcast

2 of 2

adjective

1

: rejected or cast out by society

I felt no longer outcast, vagrant, and disowned by the wide world.

—Charlotte Brontë

He breaks through the stereotype and humanizes this outcast group of young people.

—Publishers Weekly

Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys, in that he envied Huckleberry his gaudy outcast condition, and was under strict orders not to play with him.

—Mark Twain

2

: thrown aside : discarded

a pile of outcast furniture

outcast beliefs

Synonyms of outcast

Noun

• reject
• pariah
• leper
• castaway
• castoff

Examples of outcast in a Sentence

Noun

She felt like a social outcast.

the professor is something of an outcast in the halls of academe now that his former support of a dictatorial regime has become public

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His interest in Tess appears to be setting up a future alliance of disgruntled outcasts. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026

Leah is the spitting image of Malcolm — highly intelligent and overly mature, leading her to become a social outcast. —Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

Adjective

The only real threat is a whistleblower, like an outcast kid overhearing the whole criminal scheme from the floor below his mother’s office. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026

Denise Richards plays wealthy high schooler Kelly Van Ryan, who accuses her guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon), of raping her; her case is then reinforced when outcast Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) comes forward with her own allegation against Sam. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outcast

• aghast
• amassed
• biassed
• broadcast
• bypassed
• downcast
• forecast
• foremast
• harassed
• holdfast
• mainmast
• newscast

Kids Definition

outcast

noun

out·​cast -ˌkast 

: a person who is cast out by society : pariah

outcast adjective