as in pariahs
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 outcasts
There are no varsity quarterbacks or Olympic hopefuls among these quirkmasters, just a heaping of outcasts who believe their lot in life rests on words like capybara and tittup.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
If 12-step groups are the place for misfits and outcasts to find each other, then the Yellow Balloon folk and the Dopes of Dopey Nation are the fringe of the fringe — the misfits of the misfits, the outcasts of the outcasts.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Badly in Love brings together societal outcasts — individuals who have lived beyond conventional rules and etiquette — in search of love and redemption.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
When snowboarding was first created, mountains banned snowboards from ski lifts because they were stigmatized by association with outcasts and misfits.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Oak Lawn’s history of being a haven for the LGBTQ community dates back to the mid-1900s when LGBTQ people were outcasts — and considered criminals.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
As the unlikely pair of outcasts team up, the kingdom’s ancient history and modern politics throw unexpected wrinkles into their quest to clear Ballister’s name.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
If 12-step groups are the place for misfits and outcasts to find each other, then the Yellow Balloon folk and the Dopes of Dopey Nation are the fringe of the fringe — the misfits of the misfits, the outcasts of the outcasts.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Badly in Love brings together societal outcasts — individuals who have lived beyond conventional rules and etiquette — in search of love and redemption.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
When snowboarding was first created, mountains banned snowboards from ski lifts because they were stigmatized by association with outcasts and misfits.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Oak Lawn’s history of being a haven for the LGBTQ community dates back to the mid-1900s when LGBTQ people were outcasts — and considered criminals.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
As the unlikely pair of outcasts team up, the kingdom’s ancient history and modern politics throw unexpected wrinkles into their quest to clear Ballister’s name.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outcasts
Noun
-
These factors have turned the Ellisons into Murdoch-like pariahs among many Democrats, and have brought together a somewhat ideologically diverse antitrust coalition, ranging from the more centrist wing of the Democratic Party to the progressive left.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Traditionally, scientists and doctors who have questioned vaccine safety, and even the benefits of vaccines, have quickly become pariahs.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Remember, the Lord Jesus did not fear lepers, and leprosy was (and continues to be) a highly contagious infectious disease.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The town serves as the backdrop for what many surrounding the production consider the creative high point of the season — an episode 5 spaghetti western side mission that involves lepers, eye-gauging vultures, and a train pulled by zombies.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In it, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and the rest of the MI5 rejects are on the case — and a bit on the defense.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Other castaways include Season 1’s Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Season 2’s Colby Donaldson, and Cirie Fields, competing for the fifth time.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
-
During the three-hour premiere, viewers saw not one, but two of the initial 24 castaways sent home.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On Monday, several organizations of Cuban exiles and Cubans on the island who oppose the current government unveiled a plan for a democratic transition in Cuba that calls for the dismantling of Cuba’s Communist Party.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The original plan in Iraq called for a rapid transfer of power to a group of exiles in the spring of 2003, followed by early elections and the withdrawal of all but 30,000 American troops by summer’s end.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outcasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outcasts. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
