misfit
/'misfit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A person who is not well suited to their social environment or situation: Someone whose behavior, attitudes, or interests are perceived as different from and incompatible with the norms of a particular group or society. 2. Something that does not fit or match properly: An item, especially a garment, that is the wrong size or shape.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Person):
- He always felt like a misfit at school because he was more interested in books than sports.
- The company's culture was so rigid that creative thinkers were often seen as misfits.
- Noun (Thing):
- The jacket was a misfit; the sleeves were too long and the shoulders too narrow. (This usage is less common than the social meaning.)
Advanced Usage
- Social Misfit: A common collocation emphasizing the social aspect of not belonging.
- The novel's protagonist is a classic social misfit, alienated from his family and peers.
- To feel like a misfit: Describes the internal experience of not belonging.
- Moving to a new city where she knew no one made her feel like a misfit.
Variants and Related Words
- Misfitted (Adjective): Poorly suited or adapted.
- His misfitted suit gave him an awkward appearance.
- Misfitting (Adjective/Verb form): Not fitting properly.
- She returned the misfitting shoes to the store.
Synonyms
- Nonconformist: A person who does not conform to prevailing ideas or practices.
- Outsider: A person who does not belong to a particular group.
- Oddball (Informal): A strange or eccentric person.
- Square peg in a round hole: (Idiom) A person who is unsuited to their position or environment.
Antonyms
- Conformist
- Insider
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A square peg in a round hole: An idiom very close in meaning to "misfit," describing a person in a situation unsuited to their abilities or character.
- As an artist in a corporate accounting firm, he was a square peg in a round hole.
Noun
- someone unable to adapt to their circumstances