摘要：“Outcast”由古英语“ūt” （外）和“cast” （投掷、抛弃）组合而成，形成中古英语“outcasten”，字面意为“被抛出”或“被驱逐”。“Cast”源自古诺斯语“kasta”（抛），与“castaway”（被抛弃者）同根，暗示一种被社会或群体排斥

GRETOEFL

outcast

英 ['aʊtkɑːst] 美 ['aʊtkæst]

n.被驱逐的人 adj.被逐出的；被遗弃的；无家可归的

◉Etymology

“Outcast”由古英语“ūt” （外）和“cast” （投掷、抛弃）组合而成，形成中古英语“outcasten”，字面意为“被抛出”或“被驱逐”。“Cast”源自古诺斯语“kasta”（抛），与“castaway”（被抛弃者）同根，暗示一种被社会或群体排斥的动作。这个词在14世纪进入英语，最初指被逐出部落或社区的人，后扩展为比喻意义，形容任何被孤立或排斥的个体。其语感沉重而哀婉，带有一种被遗弃的悲情色彩。

◉外刊例句

① 《The Guardian》 (2023年12月10日)

Refugees often feel like outcasts, struggling to find a place in new societies.

难民常常觉得自己是被排斥的弃儿，努力在新社会中寻找一席之地。

② 《The New York Times》 (2024年6月15日)

As a whistleblower, she became an outcast in her own industry.

作为一名举报人，她在自己的行业中变成了被排斥者。

◉经典名著

① 《红字》（The Scarlet Letter）——纳撒尼尔·霍桑 (1850年)

Hester Prynne lived as an outcast, shunned by the Puritan community.

海斯特·普林作为一个被排斥者生活，被清教社区所唾弃。

② 《悲惨世界》（Les Misérables）——维克托·雨果 (1862年)

Jean Valjean, an outcast from society, sought redemption through kindness.

冉·阿让，一个被社会抛弃的弃儿，通过善行寻求救赎。

◉Usage Examples

(1) He is humiliated and condemned to live as an outcast in society.

(2) However, he was considered an outcast by other artists of his time.

(3) The outcast boy was brought up by the government.

(1) 他像一个被社会驱逐的人一般在羞辱和责难中生存。

(2) 不过，他那个时代的其它艺术家都认为他是个被社会所排斥的人。

(3) 这个被遗弃的孩子是由政府抚养大的。

◉Usage Notes

An outcast is someone who isn't wanted. To remember what outcast means, flip it around: outcasts have been cast out from somewhere.

No one wants to be an outcast: such people are rejected by their peers. We all feel like outcasts sometimes. For example, if no one wants to sit with you at lunch, you will probably feel like an outcast. There are much more serious cases too: if a person is thrown out of a community or COUNTry, they are considered an outcast (or an exile).

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词]被排斥者；被抛弃者 An outcast is someone who is not accepted by a group of people or by society.

He had always been an outcast, unwanted and alone...

他一直都被视为异类，无人理睬，形单影只。

All of us felt like social outcasts.

我们都觉得自己像是社会的弃儿。

来源：学无用的英语