unusual

adjective

un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyü-zhə-wəl 

-zhəl;

-ˈyüzh-wəl

: not usual: as

a

: not normal or typical

It's unusual for him to work this late.

b

: different or strange in a way that attracts attention

an unusual design

c

: uncommon, rare

saw an unusual flower while hiking

d

: extraordinary sense 1, remarkable

a scholar of unusual ability

unusually adverb

unusualness noun

Synonyms of unusual

• uncommon
• strange
• funny
• weird
• rare
• extraordinary

Examples of unusual in a Sentence

It's not unusual for him to stay late at work.

a scene of unusual beauty

She has an unusual name.

Recent Examples on the Web

After being found roaming the streets all alone, a bulldog mix with a very unusual name ended up at a local shelter in Fresno, California, and nobody wants to adopt her. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Check your bank and credit card statements every few days for unusual transactions, even small ones. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Pulte’s power over the mortgage lending industry is unusual. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

Some of these fossils belong to unusual marine reptiles and amphibians that document the earliest successful adaptation of land-dwelling animals to deep-sea habitats. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unusual

• cruel and unusual punishment

Rhymes for unusual

• biofuel
• contextual
• nonrenewal
• nonsexual
• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• cruel
• dual
• duel
• fuel

Kids Definition

unusual

adjective

un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyüzh-(ə-)wəl 

-ˈyü-zhəl

: not usual : uncommon, rare

unusually

-ē

adverb

unusualness noun