noun
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a person who has been shipwrecked
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something thrown off or away; castoff
adjective
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shipwrecked or put adrift
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thrown away or rejected
verb
Etymology
Origin of castaway
First recorded in 1520–30; noun, adj. use of verb phrase cast away
Explanation
A castaway is someone who's stranded on shore, often after surviving a shipwreck. A sailor who swims to a small island after a terrible storm can call herself a castaway. A castaway is more likely to be a character in a book than a real person, although occasionally a survivor has found him or herself washed up on an island. Some theories about what happened to the pilot Amelia Earhart after her disappearance include the idea that she was a castaway on some Pacific island. In the 15th century, a castaway was "one who is rejected." The deserted island survivor meaning came along in the late 1700s.
Vocabulary lists containing castaway
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 13–April 19, 2024
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Beyond the Bright Sea
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I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011
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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.
The Seahawks were paced by a brilliant performance by quarterback Sam Darnold, a Jets castaway who rebuilt himself in Minnesota before landing in Seattle this past offseason.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
Elmhirst, a journalist, came across the Baileys on a website dedicated to castaway stories, and set about researching their journey using Maralyn's diary and books Maurice published after their rescue.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2025
Mr. Graham converted the Canadian pavilion into a wooden-walled space suggesting a Robinson Crusoe-style castaway hut.
From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2022
She also offers these words as “an army of / alphabets to keep us warm at night” as a castaway returning with vital knowledge.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2022
He felt like a castaway clinging to a barrel in a stormy ocean.
From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis
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.
