black sheep en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person, who may be rejected or disdained by others for this reason.
He was the black sheep in the family, as an artist among doctors and lawyers.
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(idiomatic) A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy.
Kissinger, after all, is a figure of renown among the self-appointed leaders of "the people from whom he stems" and a frequent speaker at Jewish charity galas, whereas Ajami is a man almost entirely deserted by his people, a pariah at what should be his hour of triumph. In Arnoun, a family friend told me, "Fouad is a black sheep because of his staunch support for the Israelis."
2003 April 10, Adam Shatz, “The Native Informant”, in The Nation(US), archived from the original on 27 Jun 2014:“It’s just what I should have expected,” said Mr. Hawley, mounting his horse. “Any cursed alien blood, Jew, Corsican, or Gypsy.”¶ “I know he’s one of your black sheep, Hawley. But he is really a disinterested, unworldly fellow,” said Mr. Farebrother, smiling.
1871–1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter LXXI, in Middlemarch […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book VII:To get into the SAR, we all do a great deal of research into our families. It can help you connect with your family and learn about your ancestors. If you have a black sheep (we all do), you can learn from them and not do whatever it was that they did. The SAR gives you experiences you wouldn't have had otherwise.
2021-2022 Winter, Albert Keiser, “Foundation Request”, in SAR Magazine, volume 116, number 3, Louisville, KY: Sons of the American Revolution, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 12, column 1:
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(idiomatic) A worker who refuses to strike; a scab.
It used to be the law that a black sheep could be brought into the fold of conformity: where there were 'recognised terms of employment – a standard created by a collective agreement or award covering a substantial proportion of the employers and workers in any trade or industry […]
1985, Bryn Perrins, Trade Union Law, page 232:
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Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see black, sheep.
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| black sheep | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Relateds
red-headed stepchild · prodigal son · white sheep · dark horse
Synonyms
eccentric · misfit · maverick · offbeat · free spirit · bad apple · heteroclite · deviant · deviate · individualist · nonconformist
Translations (49)
lv melnā avs (nonconformist) · sh бе̑ла̄ вра̏на (person who is not wholesome) · sh цр̑на̄ о́вца (nonconformist) · fr brebis galeuse (person who is not wholesome) · de schwarzes Schaf (nonconformist) · lv baltais zvirbulis (nonconformist) · he כִּבְשָׂה שְׁחֹרָה (nonconformist) · cmn 害群之馬 /害群之马 (person who is not wholesome) · da sort får (person who is not wholesome) · sh cȓnā óvca (nonconformist) · fi musta lammas (person who is not wholesome) · el μαύρο πρόβατο (nonconformist) · el μαύρο πρόβατο (person who is not wholesome) · pt ovelha negra (nonconformist) · sh bijȇlā vrȁna (person who is not wholesome) · sh бије̑ла̄ вра̏на (nonconformist) · tr kara koyun (nonconformist) · nl zwart schaap (nonconformist) · sv svart får (person who is not wholesome) · eo idaĉo (person who is not wholesome) · sh bȇlā vrȁna (nonconformist) · ja 厄介者 (person who is not wholesome) · fr original (nonconformist) · ru парши́вая овца́ (person who is not wholesome) · fr excentrique (nonconformist) · pt ovelha negra (person who is not wholesome) · sh bijȇlā vrȁna (nonconformist) · fr mouton noir (person who is not wholesome) · sh бије̑ла̄ вра̏на (person who is not wholesome) · sv svart får (nonconformist) · sh бе̑ла̄ вра̏на (nonconformist) · sh cȓnā óvca (person who is not wholesome) · cmn 敗類 /败类 (person who is not wholesome) · gd caora dhubh (nonconformist) · pl czarna owca (nonconformist) · sh цр̑на̄ о́вца (person who is not wholesome) · is svartur sauður (person who is not wholesome) · nl zwart schaap (person who is not wholesome) · hu fekete bárány (nonconformist) · es oveja negra (person who is not wholesome) · sh bȇlā vrȁna (person who is not wholesome) · it pecora nera (person who is not wholesome) · uk біла ворона (nonconformist) · cmn 不墨守成规者 (nonconformist) · de schwarzes Schaf (person who is not wholesome) · ms kambing hitam (person who is not wholesome) · fi musta lammas (nonconformist) · fr vilain petit canard (person who is not wholesome) · pl czarna owca (person who is not wholesome)