outsider

/'aut'saidə/

Thân thiện

A young outsider sits alone on a park bench watching a group of children play.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who does not belong to a particular group: An individual who is excluded from or is not a member of a specific social, professional, or cultural circle.
   • A competitor thought to have little chance of winning: A contestant (in sports, politics, etc.) who is not expected to succeed or win.

Usage

• The word "outsider" describes a person's relationship to a group or a situation. It often carries a neutral or slightly negative connotation of exclusion or lack of acceptance.
• It can refer to someone who is not part of an established system, organization, or community.
• In competitive contexts, it labels a participant with perceived disadvantages.

Examples

• Noun (Non-member):
  • As a newcomer to the small town, she felt like an outsider.
  • The club's traditions were confusing to outsiders.
• Noun (Unlikely competitor):
  • The young boxer was a complete outsider, but he won the championship.
  • In the election, the independent candidate remained a political outsider.

Advanced Usage

• "Outsider status": The condition of being an outsider.
  • His outsider status allowed him to critique the company's culture objectively.
• "Outsider art": Art created by self-taught artists who are not part of the mainstream art world.
  • The museum has a fascinating collection of outsider art.

Variants and Related Words

• Outsiderness (n, rare): The quality or state of being an outsider.
• Outsiderdom (n, rare): The realm or condition of outsiders.

Synonyms

• Nonmember: A person who is not a member.
• Alien: A foreigner or a person from a different background (stronger connotation of strangeness).
• Stranger: An unknown person or one not familiar with a place/group.
• Underdog: A competitor thought to have little chance of winning.

Antonyms

• Insider: A person within a group who has special knowledge or access.
• Member: A person belonging to a group.
• Favorite: The competitor expected to win.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Outside looking in": To be excluded from a group or activity, observing it from a distance.
  • After the merger, many employees felt they were on the outside looking in.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a contestant (human or animal) not considered to have a good chance to win
2. someone who is excluded from or is not a member of a group

Từ đồng nghĩa

• foreigner