cast away
B2 neutral separable both
In simple words
To be left alone on an island after your ship sinks, or to throw something far away.
Literal meaning: To be cast (thrown) away from civilization — specifically onto a remote shore by the sea.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To be stranded on a deserted island or coast after a shipwreck.
"The sailors were cast away on an uninhabited island and had to survive for months."
"I was cast away among savages."
— Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1 formal
(literary/formal) To throw or discard something completely.
"He cast away every reminder of his former life and started completely fresh."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
The passive 'be cast away' is the dominant form in the shipwreck sense. The active 'cast away' meaning 'to discard' is formal and literary. The 2000 Tom Hanks film 'Cast Away' popularised the shipwreck sense internationally.
Commonly used with
island shore sailor survivor hope fortune
Forms
Base
cast away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
casts away
he/she/it
Past simple
casted away
yesterday
Past participle
casted away
have + pp
-ing form
casting away
continuous
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Synonyms
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