black sheep

B b

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [blak sheep]
- /blæk ʃip/
- /blæk ʃiːp/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [blak sheep]
- /blæk ʃip/

Definitions of black sheep words

countable noun black sheep If you describe someone as the black sheep of their family or of a group that they are a member of, you mean that they are considered bad or worthless by other people in that family or group. 3
noun black sheep a person who is regarded as a disgrace or failure by his family or peer group 3
noun black sheep a member of a family or group regarded as not so respectable or successful as the rest 3
noun black sheep a sheep with black fleece. 1
noun black sheep a person who causes shame or embarrassment because of deviation from the accepted standards of his or her group. 1
noun black sheep misfit, estranged family member 1

See all 10 definitions of black sheep

Information block about the term

Origin of black sheep

First appearance:

before 1785

One of the 44% newest English words

First recorded in 1785-95

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Black sheep

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Black sheep

black sheep popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 39% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 64% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

black sheep usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for black sheep

noun black sheep

pariah — an outcast.
outcast — a falling out; quarrel.
prodigal — wastefully or recklessly extravagant: prodigal expenditure.
reject — to refuse to have, take, recognize, etc.: to reject the offer of a better job.
reprobate — a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate.

All 6 Synonyms of black sheep