Cast Aside Meaning
Definition: To dispose of or discard a person or thing.
Origin of Cast Aside
The exact origin of this phrasal verb is unclear. However, it has existed since at least the 1600s.
Cast comes from the Old Norse word kasta. It can mean to throw. Therefore, to cast something aside means to throw it to the side, as if it is unwanted.
Examples of Cast Aside
Here is an example that involves two college students discussing their favorite basketball player.
Robin: Did you hear that our favorite team just got rid of our favorite player?
Harry: Are you sure? What happened?
Robin: I don’t know the details. All I know is that the team cast him aside like a piece of trash.
Harry: I know he wasn’t having the best season, but he was still talented. There must be some reason for them to get rid of him.
Robin: I don’t know. That’s not what he’s saying on social media.
In this dialogue, one coworker discusses possible layoffs with another.
Mal: Hey Xiomara! Did you hear anything about the company letting some employees go?
Xiomara: No, why? Are they going to fire anyone?
Mal: There’s a rumor that they might. But who knows if that’s true.
Xiomara: Well, they’d better not try to fire me. I’ve put so much time and effort into this company that they can’t get rid of me. I’ve worked too hard for them just to cast me aside.
Mal: I don’t think you have to worry. You’re far too valuable to the company for them to lay you off.
Xiomara: I hope so!
More Examples
This excerpt is about a politician and an athlete who are close friends. The politician doesn’t want to lose the athlete as a friend.
- “He may be divorced from my sister, but I can’t cast him aside,” Steele told the Times. “You embrace. You love. . . . I’ve never sat in judgment of him, and I never would.” –Washington Post
Summary
The phrase to cast someone or something aside describes rejecting or getting rid of a person or thing.
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