Standard Lemma guide

castaway

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: kăsʹtəwā
  • US: /ˈkæs.tə.weɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: /ˈkɑːstəweɪ/
  • UK: /ˈkæstəweɪ/
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE1 S T AH0 W EY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Cast adrift or ashore; marooned.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • After the mutiny, the castaway ship's officers suffered a month at sea in the lifeboat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Shipwrecked.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The storm left them castaway on an uninhabited island.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Cast out; rejected or excluded from a group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A shipwrecked sailor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

Examples

  • Robinson Crusoe was a famous fictional castaway.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A discarded person or thing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This old coat was a castaway in someone's trash.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An outcast; someone cast out of a group or society.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • These homeless people are society's castaways.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a shipwrecked person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shipwreck survivor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abandoned person

8

noun

Meaning 8

a person who is rejected (from society or home)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outcast, pariah, Ishmael

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unfortunate, unfortunate person

Narrower terms: heretic, misbeliever, religious outcast, leper, untouchable, Harijan

History

Etymology

Deverbal from cast away.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: naufragé — cast adrift
  • Hindi: अपवाहित (apvāhit) — cast adrift
  • Māori: rurenga — cast adrift
  • Polish: rozbity — cast adrift
  • Romanian: naufragiat — cast adrift
  • Bulgarian: корабокрушенец (korabokrušenec) — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Catalan: nàufrag — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Czech: trosečník — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Dutch: schipbreukeling — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Faroese: havreki — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Finnish: haaksirikkoinen — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • French: naufragé — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • German: Schiffbrüchiger — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Hungarian: hajótörött — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Italian: naufrago — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Macedonian: бродо́ломник (brodólomnik) — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Macedonian: бродо́ломец (brodólomec) — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Polish: rozbitek — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Portuguese: náufrago — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Romanian: vas naufragiat — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Russian: потерпе́вший кораблекруше́ние (poterpévšij korablekrušénije) — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Spanish: náufrago — nautical: shipwrecked sailor
  • Bulgarian: нещо изхвърлено (nešto izhvǎrleno) — discarded person or thing
  • Finnish: hylkytavara — discarded person or thing
  • Finnish: hylkiö — discarded person or thing
  • German: Fallengelassener — discarded person or thing
  • German: Abgewiesener — discarded person or thing
  • German: Weggeworfenes — discarded person or thing
  • German: weggeworfener Gegenstand — discarded person or thing
  • German: Wegwurf — discarded person or thing
  • Hebrew: פסולת — discarded person or thing
  • Hungarian: kitaszított — discarded person or thing
  • Māori: rurenga — discarded person or thing
  • Māori: paruranga — discarded person or thing
  • Polish: śmieć — discarded person or thing
  • Russian: вы́брошенный (výbrošennyj) — discarded person or thing
  • Russian: вы́кинутый (výkinutyj) — discarded person or thing
  • Bulgarian: прокуден (prokuden) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Dutch: uitgestotene — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Finnish: hylkiö — someone cast out of a group or society
  • German: Ausgestoßener — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Māori: rurenga — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Polish: wyrzutek — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Polish: outsider — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Polish: outsiderka — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Russian: па́рия (párija) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Russian: изгна́нник (izgnánnik) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Russian: изгна́нница (izgnánnica) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Russian: изго́й (izgój) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Russian: отве́рженный (otvéržennyj) — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Spanish: apestado — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Spanish: apestada — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Spanish: marginado — someone cast out of a group or society
  • Spanish: marginada — someone cast out of a group or society
Real reading context

castaway in complete knowledge articles