cast
1 of 2verb
ˈkast 
cast; casting
transitive verb
1
a
: to cause to move or send forth by throwing
cast a fishing lure
cast dice
b
: direct
cast a glance
c(1)
: to put forth
the fire casts a warm glow
cast light on the subject
cast a shadow
(2)
: to place as if by throwing
cast doubt on their reliability
d
: to deposit (a ballot) formally
cast her vote
e(1)
: to throw off or away
the horse cast a shoe
(2)
: to get rid of : discard
cast off all restraint
soda cans and fast-food boxes cast aside on the beach
(3)
: shed, molt
cast feathers
(4)
: to bring forth
especially : to give birth to prematurely
f
: to throw to the ground especially in wrestling
The cow was cast and her legs tied.
g
: to build by throwing up earth
cast a mound
2
a(1)
: to perform arithmetical operations on : add
(2)
: to calculate by means of astrology
cast a person's horoscope
b
archaic : decide, intend
3
a
: to dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order
I shall cast what I have to say under two principal heads—
Tatler
Tatler b(1)
: to assign the parts of (a dramatic production) to actors
cast a movie
(2)
: to assign (someone, such as an actor) to a role or part
was cast in the leading role
4
a
: to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure
cast steel
b
: to form by this process
toys cast from plastic
5
: turn
cast the scale slightly
6
: to make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up
cast a square knot
7
: twist, warp
a beam cast by age
8
: to transmit the sound and images of (something happening) in real time via the Internet
The event is cast live over the Internet and broadcast later on National Public Radio's "Science Friday."—Lynn Teo Simarski
Lynn Teo SimarskiThe webinar will be cast live over Skype on a large screen at the church.—Cheril Vernon
Cheril Vernonintransitive verb
1
: to throw something
specifically : to throw out a lure with a fishing rod
2
dialectal British : vomit
3
dialectal, England : to bear fruit : yield
4
a
: to perform addition
b
obsolete : estimate, conjecture
5
: warp
lumber casts
6
: to range over land in search of a trail —used of hunting dogs or trackers
7
: veer
castability
ˌka-stə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun castable
ˈka-stə-bəl
adjective cast
2 of 2noun
1
a
: an act of casting
b
: something that happens as a result of chance
c
: a throw of dice
a seven on the first cast
d
: a throw of a line (such as a fishing line) or net
a perfect cast
2
a
: the form in which a thing is constructed
b(1)
: the set of actors in a dramatic production
The show features an all-star cast.
(2)
: a set of characters or persons
in both great houses there is the usual cast of servants—Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Bowen c
: the arrangement of draperies in a painting
3
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown
specifically : the distance a bow can shoot
4
a
: a turning of the eye in a particular direction
also : expression
this freakish, elfish cast came into the child's eye —Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne b
: a slight strabismus
5
: something that is thrown or the quantity thrown
especially, British : the leader of a fishing line
6
a
: something that is formed by casting in a mold or form: such as
(1)
: a reproduction (as of a statue) in metal or plaster : casting
(2)
: a fossil reproduction of the details of a natural object by mineral infiltration
b
: an impression taken from an object with a liquid or plastic substance : mold
They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.
c
: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
has a cast on her broken arm
7
: forecast, conjecture
8
a
: an overspread of a color or modification of the appearance of a substance by a trace of some added hue : shade
gray with a greenish cast
b
: tinge, suggestion
a cast of bitterness in his words—Walter O'Meara
Walter O'Meara9
a
: a ride on one's way in a vehicle : lift
A motorist gave him a cast as far as the town.
b
Scotland : help, assistance
10
a
: shape, appearance
the delicate cast of her features
b
: characteristic quality
his father's conservative cast of mind
11
: something that is shed, ejected, or thrown out or off: such as
a
: the excrement of an earthworm
b
: a mass of soft matter formed in cavities of diseased organs and discharged from the body
c
: the skin of an insect
12
: the ranging in search of a trail by a dog, hunting pack, or tracker
The setter made a wide cast.
Synonyms
Verb
- discharge
- emanate
- emit
- evolve
- exhale
- expel
- expire [archaic]
- give out
- irradiate
- issue
- radiate
- release
- send (out)
- shoot
- throw out
- vent
Noun
- auguring
- augury
- bodement
- forecast
- forecasting
- foretelling
- predicting
- prediction
- presaging
- prognosis
- prognostic
- prognosticating
- prognostication
- prophecy
- prophesy
- soothsaying
- vaticination
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Seaweed was cast up by the waves. The tree cast a long shadow on the lawn. How many votes were cast? Noun She has a cast on her arm. They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.
Recent Examples on the WebTom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2023 The Senate had been split in the previous session of Congress, with Democrats needing to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the tiebreaking vote. —BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2023 Large faceted gems in classic configurations seem to cast shadows realized in the form of mirror-polished black jade, irregularly shaped like rain puddles. —New York Times, 15 Feb. 2023 Another issue was the election was supposed to end at 6 p.m., but voters waiting in line at that hour were allowed to cast their ballots even after the results of exit polls were made public. —Kirsten Grieshaber, ajc, 12 Feb. 2023 But now, what likely will be at least a three-week absence and likely longer, does open the door to cast the change as an injury-management issue. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2023 How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Bassett was thrilled to be cast by Coogler in the original Black Panther. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2023 These allegations have evolved in nearly a half-decade of warnings, as politicians in Washington and beyond fixate on the industry’s communications with the FBI and Democratic leaders, seeking to cast the opposing party as against free speech. —Cat Zakrzewski And Cristiano Lima, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023 These allegations have evolved in nearly a half-decade of warnings, as politicians in Washington and beyond fixate on the industry’s communications with the FBI and Democratic leaders, seeking to cast the opposing party as against free speech. —Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023 Ryan Parker, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2023 The cast, unsurprisingly, is the film’s ace up its sleeve, especially Moore and Middleton, each of whom is riveting to watch, in different ways, as their characters negotiate hairpin plot turns and twists of fate. —Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023 While the small cast is good all around, Bautista is quietly spectacular in the film’s most important role. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2023 The cast of the series was also to include Tracey Ullman, Kelly Macdonald, Aiysha Hart, Spike Fearn, Shaniqua Okwok, Gary Beadle, Kwami Odoom, Susan Brown, Keira Chanse, and Edward Holcroft. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023 The cast was on location for months across Malaysia, Nepal, and South Africa while filming the third season. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2023 That cast was a hard piece of plaster Pellington could use to pummel opponents. —The Indianapolis Star, 30 Jan. 2023 The whole thing was just fantastic, and not only the cast, but the crew and everyone behind the scenes were just lovely, lovely people. —Max Gao, ELLE, 26 Jan. 2023 The particular moment that Scott recalled happened while the cast was on set filming the season 2 finale. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023 See More
Verb
Senate Bill 216, sponsored by Sen. Clarke Tucker, D- Little Rock, requires voters be able to cast their ballots within one hour of arriving at a polling location on election day. —Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2023 The Senate had been split in the previous session of Congress, with Democrats needing to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the tiebreaking vote. —BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2023 Large faceted gems in classic configurations seem to cast shadows realized in the form of mirror-polished black jade, irregularly shaped like rain puddles. —New York Times, 15 Feb. 2023 Another issue was the election was supposed to end at 6 p.m., but voters waiting in line at that hour were allowed to cast their ballots even after the results of exit polls were made public. —Kirsten Grieshaber, ajc, 12 Feb. 2023 But now, what likely will be at least a three-week absence and likely longer, does open the door to cast the change as an injury-management issue. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2023 How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Bassett was thrilled to be cast by Coogler in the original Black Panther. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2023 These allegations have evolved in nearly a half-decade of warnings, as politicians in Washington and beyond fixate on the industry’s communications with the FBI and Democratic leaders, seeking to cast the opposing party as against free speech. —Cat Zakrzewski And Cristiano Lima, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023 These allegations have evolved in nearly a half-decade of warnings, as politicians in Washington and beyond fixate on the industry’s communications with the FBI and Democratic leaders, seeking to cast the opposing party as against free speech. —Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023 Noun
More than 20 years later, the cast were grateful for the chance to say a proper goodbye. —Ryan Parker, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2023 The cast, unsurprisingly, is the film’s ace up its sleeve, especially Moore and Middleton, each of whom is riveting to watch, in different ways, as their characters negotiate hairpin plot turns and twists of fate. —Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023 While the small cast is good all around, Bautista is quietly spectacular in the film’s most important role. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2023 The cast of the series was also to include Tracey Ullman, Kelly Macdonald, Aiysha Hart, Spike Fearn, Shaniqua Okwok, Gary Beadle, Kwami Odoom, Susan Brown, Keira Chanse, and Edward Holcroft. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023 The cast was on location for months across Malaysia, Nepal, and South Africa while filming the third season. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2023 That cast was a hard piece of plaster Pellington could use to pummel opponents. —The Indianapolis Star, 30 Jan. 2023 The whole thing was just fantastic, and not only the cast, but the crew and everyone behind the scenes were just lovely, lovely people. —Max Gao, ELLE, 26 Jan. 2023 The particular moment that Scott recalled happened while the cast was on set filming the season 2 finale. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Old Norse kasta; akin to Old Norse kǫs heap
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing cast
Kids Definition
cast
1 of 2 verb ˈkast
cast; casting
1
a
: throw entry 1 sense 1a, toss
cast a stone
b
: to throw a fishing line
c
: direct entry 1 sense 3
cast a glance
d
: to place as if by throwing
cast doubt on their honesty
e
: to deposit formally
cast a ballot
f
: to throw off, out, or away
the horse cast a shoe
a snake casts its skin
2
a
: compute
b
: to arrange into parts or into a proper form
cast the story in the form of a letter
3
: to assign parts to actors
cast a play
4
: to shape a substance by pouring it in liquid or very soft form into a mold and letting it harden without pressure
cast steel
cast machine parts
cast
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of casting
2
a
: the form in which a thing is constructed
b
: the characters or the actors in a story or play
3
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown
4
a
: a glance of the eye
b
: appearance sense 1, look
5
a
: casting sense 2
b
: a rigid casing (as of gauze and plaster of paris) for immobilizing a body part
6
: forecast entry 2
7
: a tinge of color : shade
8
: one of the characteristics associated with a person or thing
the humorous cast of his stories
her strict cast of mind
9
: something thrown out or off or shed
Medical Definition
cast
1 of 2 transitive verb ˈkast
cast; casting
1
: to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure
2
: to form by casting
cast
2 of 2 noun1
: a slight strabismus
2
a
: something that is formed by casting in a mold or form
especially : an impression taken from an object by using a liquid or plastic substance
b
: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
3
: a mass of plastic matter formed in cavities of diseased organs (as the kidneys) and discharged from the body
cast 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to release
to throw or give off spermaceti candles, made from whale oil, are known to cast an exceptionally bright light Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- release
- radiate
- emit
- expel
- emanate
- shoot
- eliminate
- throw out
- issue
- exhale
- discharge
- evolve
- give out
- irradiate
- pour
- vent
- send (out)
- ooze
- exude
- evacuate
- erupt
- expire
- eject
- spray
- excrete
- jet
- secrete
- spew
- gush
- spout
- outpour
- squirt
- spurt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- take up
- absorb
- inhale
- sponge
- soak (up)
- suck (up)
2
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal cast her eyes skyward for signs of the rescue plane Synonyms & Similar Words
- aim
- set
- direct
- head
- hold
- level
- bend
- train
- focus
- sight
- face
- pinpoint
- steer
- concentrate
- bear
- orient
- incline
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deflect
- shunt
- divert
- curve
- avert
- detour
- sidetrack
- rechannel
3
as in to compose
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form carefully cast the letter of complaint as politely as possible Synonyms & Similar Words
- compose
- prepare
- draft
- write
- craft
- draw up
- frame
- mold
- formulate
- put together
- sculpture
- form
- shape
- make
- fabricate
- word
- assemble
- build
- pen
- phrase
- couch
- state
- construct
- fashion
- devise
- author
- compound
- express
- conceive
- verbalize
- concoct
- reframe
- reformulate
- redraft
- indite
- piece (together)
4
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm cast a rock into the stream Synonyms & Similar Words
- throw
- toss
- hurl
- fling
- fire
- sling
- peg
- bowl
- lob
- chuck
- launch
- heave
- pitch
- pelt
- catapult
- let fly
- dart
- loft
- flip
- gun
- dash
- hook
- roll
- thrust
- hurtle
- project
- precipitate
- pass
- shoot
- rifle
- propel
- eject
- impel
- buck
cast
2 of 2noun
1
as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future stock market analysts offered an optimistic cast for the coming year Synonyms & Similar Words
- prediction
- predicting
- forecast
- forecasting
- prophecy
- prophesy
- prognosis
- sign
- prognostic
- presaging
- auguring
- bodement
- foretelling
- prognostication
- vaticination
- soothsaying
- anticipation
- augury
- prognosticating
- omen
- harbinger
- guess
- prevision
- conjecture
- surmise
- portent
- foreknowledge
- foreboding
- foresight
- prospectus
2
as in shade
a property that becomes apparent when light falls on an object and by which things that are identical in form can be distinguished the walls had a slight yellowish cast Synonyms & Similar Words
- shade
- color
- tone
- hue
- tint
- tinge
- coloration
- coloring
- tincture
- contrast
- brightness
- secondary color
- primary color
- tertiary color
- undertone
- lightness
- chroma
- overtone
- value
- pigmentation
- chromaticity
- saturation
- colorway
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- achromatism
3
as in glance
an instance of looking especially briefly a mischievous cast in his eye when we asked what our destination would be Synonyms & Similar Words
- glance
- glimpse
- look
- peek
- gaze
- peep
- stare
- glare
- view
- sight
- eye
- gander
- ogle
- regard
- side-glance
- gape
- leer
- squint
- squinny
- coup d'oeil
4
as in look
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling his face took on a somewhat sad cast when we asked how his ill wife was faring Synonyms & Similar Words
- look
- expression
- face
- smile
- countenance
- grin
- visage
- scowl
- bearing
- frown
- appearance
- lower
- grimace
- presence
- mouth
- pout
- air
- demeanor
- lour
- aspect
- mien
- manner
5
as in shape
the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance the lovely cast of the baby's features Synonyms & Similar Words
- shape
- form
- figure
- geometry
- silhouette
- outline
- fashion
- configuration
- skeleton
- shell
- design
- contour
- frame
- conformation
- profile
- framework
- plan
- organization
- pattern
- setup
- layout
- makeup
- arrangement
- format
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- material
- composition
- substance
- matter
- stuff
- raw material
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of cast are fling, hurl, pitch, sling, throw, and toss. While all these words mean "to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force," cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.
cast it to the winds
While in some cases nearly identical to cast, fling stresses a violent throwing.
flung the ring back in his face
The words hurl and cast are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.
hurled himself at the intruder
The words pitch and cast can be used in similar contexts, but pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.
pitch horseshoes
Although the words sling and cast have much in common, sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.
slung the bag over his shoulder
The meanings of throw and cast largely overlap; however, throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.
can throw a fastball and a curve
While the synonyms toss and cast are close in meaning, toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.
tossed the coat on the bed
Phrases Containing cast
- personalisations
- personalise
- personalised
- personalises
- personalising
- personalism
- personalisms
- personalist
- personalistic
- personalistic idealism
- personalistic psychology
- personalists
- personalities
- personality
- personality cult
- personality disorder
- personality disorders
- personality inventory
- personality test
- personalization
- personalizations
- personalize
- personalized
- personalized medicine
- personalizes