1
: thrown away : rejected
2
a
: cast adrift or ashore as a survivor of a shipwreck
b
: thrown out or left without friends or resources
castaway noun

Examples of castaway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The package also includes daily breakfast and dinner and a bottle of champagne, and add-ons include a private dinner aboard a yacht, a castaway picnic lunch on a private island, and filling your private pool with red roses. Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2025 The Maldives Best for: Romance, castaway vibes, and overwater excess Dotted across an astoundingly blue Indian Ocean is Asia’s smallest country, an archipelago of 1,192 coralline islets, only 200 of which are inhabited. Paul Rubio, AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of castaway was in 1542

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Cite this Entry

“Castaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castaway. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

castaway

adjective
1
: thrown away
2
: cast adrift or ashore
castaway noun

More from Merriam-Webster on castaway

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