CASTAWAY Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

castaway 1 of 2

noun

Definition of castaway

as in reject

one who is cast out or rejected by society one theory is that Easter Island was first settled by castaways from Polynesia

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insider

castaway

2 of 2

adjective

as in lost

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 castaway

Noun

Gilligan’s Island, American television sitcom about a group of castaways on a desert island and the chaos that ensues as their attempts at rescue are constantly thwarted. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 Supporters of the theory believe that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan became stranded on the remote island after failing to reach Howland Island — possibly dying as castaways. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Chartering a speedboat, we were whisked into the bay, a spellbinding expanse of calm, amniotic water dotted with more than 50 tiny islands and pristine beaches that called to mind castaway fantasies. — David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 Colts head coach Shane Steichen has found something in castaway quarterback Daniel Jones. — Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for castaway

Recent Examples of Synonyms for castaway

Noun

All three are crime drama-thrillers, the most exportable and ordered of program types, but all three reject tropes of the genre.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Pollock's rejects were the source material for Bald Eagle, according to Kumar.

— Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of reject

Adjective

General assertions of lost profits, out-of-pocket expenses and reputational harm did not satisfy the requirement to plead special damages, Gayles wrote.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Poor Savu, who started the puzzle first, looked more lost than Devin searching for Jenna’s wedding shot list.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of lost

Noun

The True Blood actor plays a character who seems like the ideal husband for Olivia Colman’s Fisherwoman in the steamy fairy tale about a town outcast who commissions Peter Dinklage’s Basketmaker to craft her a partner.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
Lee’s films have often zeroed in on misfits and outcasts, cut off from society’s embrace.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of outcast

Adjective

According to the academic, that structure gave progressive digital activism a level of coordination that had been absent even during Lula’s successful campaign in 2022.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
As that plays out, the Kennedy Center has closed with its stages absent of performances for months.

— Hillel Italie, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of absent

Noun

Their limited budgets also have required both to identify which castoffs elsewhere could become valuable contributors.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Filled with castoffs from other teams and cheap internal options having the best few weeks of their careers at the perfect time.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of castoff

Adjective

The Cat and the kids dive into their cardboard boxes to find the misplaced Go-Backer and discover vast, amazing worlds informed by their interests and imaginations.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Decades later Santa discovers the misplaced letter and immediately sets out to make things right.

— Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of misplaced

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

Adjective

But whatever meddling the Black Doves had planned is waylaid when Helen’s handler, the icy Reed (Sarah Lancashire), goes missing.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Created by playwright Kat Sandler, who adapted her own material for the small screen, Yaga stars Noah Reid as Rapp, a private investigator hired by the wealthy family of a fishery empire to find their missing son, Henry Park (Hudson Williams).

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2026