1.
exclusion from a group, ostracism
The state of being left out or excluded from a group; social isolation imposed by peers.
彼女は仲間外れにされている。
She is being excluded from the group.
仲間外れにされるのが怖い。
I'm afraid of being left out.
転校直後は仲間外れのように感じた。
Right after transferring schools, I felt like an outsider.
仲間外れはいじめの一種だ。
Exclusion is a form of bullying.
仲間外れ describes being excluded from a peer group.
ETYMOLOGY:
仲間 (peer group, companions) + 外れ (being off, deviation) - being outside the group.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 仲間外れにする - to exclude someone
- 仲間外れにされる - to be excluded (passive)
- 仲間外れにあう - to experience exclusion
USAGE NOTE:
Often discussed in the context of school bullying ({いじめ}) in Japan. Deliberate exclusion from a group is considered a form of {いじめ}. The term emphasizes the social pain of not belonging.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 仲間外れ vs. いじめ: 仲間外れ is a specific type of いじめ (exclusion-based)
- 仲間外れ vs. 疎外: 仲間外れ is colloquial, often about peers; 疎外 is more formal/abstract (alienation)