strange

¹strange

adj \ˈstrānj\

strang·erstrang·est

Definition of STRANGE

1

a archaic : of, relating to, or characteristic of another country : foreign b : not native to or naturally belonging in a place : of external origin, kind, or character

2

a : not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar b : exciting wonder or awe : extraordinary

3

a : discouraging familiarities : reserved, distant b : ill at ease

4

: unaccustomed 2 <she was strange to his ways>

— strange·ly adverb

Examples of STRANGE

1. Does his behavior seem strange to you?
2. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
3. That is one of the strangest creatures I have ever seen.
4. He gave me a strange look.
5. Strange as it may seem, I don't like walking barefoot on the grass.
6. It's strange that nobody told me about this before.
7. That's strange. He was here a minute ago.
8. The strange thing is that nobody saw him enter or leave the building.
9. Children are taught not to talk to strange people.
10. The language was strange to me.

Origin of STRANGE

Middle English, from Anglo-French estrange, from Latin extraneus, literally, external, from extra outside — more at extra-

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to STRANGE

Synonyms: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky (also kookie), offbeat, off-kilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum [chiefly British], screwy, spaced-out, odd, wacky (also whacky), way-out, weird, weirdo, wild

Antonyms: familiar, nonexotic, nonglamorous, plain-Jane, unexotic, unglamorous, unromantic

Related Words: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky; extraordinary, fantastic (also fantastical), freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric (or phantasmagorical), phenomenal; atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted; conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking; atrocious, outrageous, shocking; crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox; baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling

Near Antonyms: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday; conformist, conservative, conventional; expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable; common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

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Synonym Discussion of STRANGE

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected. strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable <a journey filled with strange sights>. singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness <a singular feeling of impending disaster>. unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel <a career unique in the annals of science>. peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness <the peculiar status of America's first lady>. eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior <the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers>. erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating <a friend's suddenly erratic behavior>. odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected <an odd sense of humor>. quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness <a quaint fishing village>. outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric <outlandish fashions of the time>.

Rhymes with STRANGE

change, grange, mange, range