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

1. someone unable to adapt to their circumstances