a/the black sheep

black sheep

One who is unlike other members of a family, group, or organization, sometimes due to intentional rebelliousness, and often viewed unfavorably by them. (Sometimes used in the expanded phrase "the black sheep of the family.") Everyone likes me because I'm so quiet and obedient. The same cannot be said for my wild cousin Nathan, who's been the black sheep since we were kids. The studio is proving to be quite the black sheep of the movie industry, making big-budget films that fly in the face of Hollywood's conventions.See also: black, sheep

the black sheep

or

the black sheep of the family

COMMON If you describe someone as the black sheep or the black sheep of the family, you mean that the other people in their family disapprove of them and consider their behaviour to be bad. `I was always the black sheep,' he says. `Everyone else stayed in New Jersey but I was the one to go.' My uncle was the black sheep of the family and we were never encouraged to talk about him. Note: Black sheep are less valuable than white sheep since their wool cannot be dyed. In addition, people used to associate the colour black with evil. See also: black, sheep

the black sheep

a person considered to have brought discredit upon a family or other group; a bad character.See also: black, sheep

a/the black ˈsheep (of the family)

a person who is different from the rest of their family or another group, and who is considered bad or embarrassing: Debbie is the black sheep of the family, having left home at seventeen to live with her boyfriend.Shepherds used to dislike black sheep because their wool was not as valuable as white wool.See also: black, sheep