peculiar

peculiar

adjective

Definition of PECULIAR

1

being out of the ordinary <a writer with a peculiar talent for capturing the feel of everyday conversation>

Synonyms aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted

Related Words conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, salient, striking; bizarre, deviant, eccentric, freakish, monstrous, oddball, outlandish, quaint, strange, weird; incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unimaginable, unthinkable

Near Antonyms everyday, familiar, frequent

Antonyms common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual

2

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion <a peculiar and catlike way of walking>

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, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out, weird, weirdo, wild

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

3

noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced <a peculiar response to a polite query about his health>

Synonyms curious, extraordinary, funny, odd, offbeat, out-of-the-way, peculiar, queer, rare, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, weird

Related Words bizarre, eccentric, far-out, kooky (also kookie), oddball, outlandish, outré, way-out; aberrant, abnormal, atypical, exceptional, irregular; newsworthy, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, particular, remarkable, special

Near Antonyms unexceptional; expected, predictable; familiar, normal, regular, typical

Antonyms common, ordinary, plain, usual

4

of, relating to, or belonging to a single person <his peculiar way of talking>

Synonyms idiomatic, individualized, particular, patented, peculiar, personal, personalized, private, privy, separate, singular, subjective, unique

Related Words characteristic, distinctive, intimate; identifying, idiosyncratic; especial, express, special, specific; independent, nonconformist, self-directed, self-sufficient; custom, customized, specialized

Near Antonyms broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread; common, normal, regular, typical

Antonyms general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal

5

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group <the koala is peculiar to Australia>

Synonyms classic, diagnostic (also diagnostical), discriminating, distinct, distinctive, distinguishing, identifying, individual, peculiar, proper, symptomatic, typical

Related Words idiosyncratic; identifiable, pronounced, unmistakable; general, generic; common, normal, regular, usual; especial, particular, special, specific; archetypal (also archetypical), model, paradigmatic

Antonyms atypical, nontypical, uncharacteristic, untypical

6

of a particular or exact sort <a psychopathic killer who took peculiar delight in torturing his victims>

Synonyms concrete, distinct, especial, peculiar, precise, set, special, specific

Related Words lone, only, separate, single, sole, solitary; distinctive, exclusive, individual, unique; limited, restricted; differentiated, specialized; given, specified

Near Antonyms general, generalized, generic, nonexclusive, universal

Antonyms nonspecific