castaway: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal/Literary/Figurative
Quick answer
What does “castaway” mean?
A person who has been shipwrecked or stranded in an isolated place, typically an island.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who has been shipwrecked or stranded in an isolated place, typically an island.
A person or thing that has been rejected, discarded, or cast aside by society or a group. Also used as an adjective to describe such a person or the state of being abandoned.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition or usage. Both varieties use the term in its literal and figurative senses.
Connotations
Evokes classic literature (e.g., Robinson Crusoe) and survival narratives. The figurative use is more common in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday conversation. More common in written English, literature, and film/TV descriptions.
Grammar
How to Use “castaway” in a Sentence
be + castaway + on + [island/coast]be + castaway + from + [society/group]live + as + a + castawayVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “castaway” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The castaway sailor survived on coconuts and fish.
- She had a castaway look about her, as if she didn't belong.
American English
- They led a castaway existence in the remote cabin.
- The castaway cargo washed up on the beach.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Figuratively for a company or product abandoned by the market: 'The old software became a digital castaway.'
Academic
Used in literary analysis, post-colonial studies, and anthropology to discuss themes of isolation and otherness.
Everyday
Figurative use to describe feeling socially excluded: 'After the argument, I felt like a castaway at the party.'
Technical
Maritime/survival contexts to describe a person stranded after a maritime disaster.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “castaway”
- Using 'castaway' as a verb (the verb is 'cast away', two words).
- Confusing with 'cast off' (to untie a boat).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily used as a noun ('He was a castaway') but can also function attributively as an adjective ('a castaway sailor'). The two-word verb phrase is 'cast away'.
An 'outcast' is specifically rejected by a social group. A 'castaway' emphasizes the condition of being thrown away or stranded, often physically, which then leads to the figurative sense of being an outcast.
Yes, figuratively. E.g., 'The old factory was a castaway of the industrial revolution.'
Daniel Defoe's novel 'Robinson Crusoe' (1719) is the archetypal castaway story, deeply embedding the term in English-speaking culture.
A person who has been shipwrecked or stranded in an isolated place, typically an island.
Castaway is usually formal/literary/figurative in register.
Castaway: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɑː.stə.weɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkæs.tə.weɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A castaway on the island of misfortune (literary).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CAST (thrown) + AWAY. A person CAST AWAY from society onto a shore.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIETY IS A SHIP / EXCLUSION IS BEING SHIPWRECKED. E.g., 'He was cast away from his family's expectations.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'castaway' used most figuratively?