OUTSIDER Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

outsider

noun

ˌau̇t-ˈsī-dər

Definition of outsider

as in stranger

a person who is not native to or known to a community she seems to enjoy the odd distinction of being the only outsider in such a small community

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of outsider More than 200,000 people voted for Pratt in the primary, Spencer said, but neither Democrat may offer an appealing alternative to voters who backed an outsider to protest the city’s political leadership. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 An artist and musician by trade, Hunt brought an outsider’s instinct to the architectural blueprint of Fashion Forward, perceiving early on that creative industries rarely exist in isolation outside of corporate org charts. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 John and Percherette are outsiders on the European continent. — Radhika Jones, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Panic about predatory outsiders is, of course, grist for the mill of right-wing populists, including the very conservative current Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outsider

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsider

Noun

Since 2012, Cabrera and his family have welcomed thousands of neighbors and strangers into their Vinings Estates home in Smyrna.

— Rebecca Deurlein, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of stranger

Noun

Kpodo, an architect, will exhibit work that addresses modernism, turning the focus away from tropical modernism centered on concrete buildings, which were often built by foreigners in Ghanaian cities.

— Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Officials are warning that attacks could happen with little or no warning at tourist attractions, hotels, transportation hubs, shopping malls and other places visited by foreigners.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of foreigner

Browse Nearby Words

outside of

outsider

outsiders

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsider. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of outsider

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes