cast away
Idioms-
Also, cast aside . Discard, reject, as in He picked a book, then cast it aside , or She cast away all thoughts of returning home . [Early 1400s]
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Squander, waste, as in She cast away a fortune on jewelry . Shakespeare used this idiom in King John (2:1): “France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?” [Early 1500s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s nice to know that there are still corners of the internet bright enough to cast away the darkness that often feels suffocating.
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
COSTNER: When they weren’t useful, they were just cast away.
From Seattle Times • May 19, 2024
They will share which eight recordings, book and luxury item they would take with them if they were cast away on a desert island.
From BBC • Nov. 26, 2022
The sense is that Sophia has been banished or cast away.
From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2022
Could I recall the moments I have careless cast away, I could but hope to spend them in a wiser way, and warm myself in light that rivals light of day.’
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
