odd

adjective

\ ˈäd

Definition of odd

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : being without a corresponding (see corresponding sense 1) mate an odd shoe

b(1) : left over after others are paired or grouped came without his wife and thus turned out to be the odd guest at the party

(2) : separated from a set or series had in his possession only two or three odd volumes of the original 12-volume set

2a : somewhat more than the indicated approximate quantity, extent, or degree —usually used in combination 300-odd pages

b(1) : left over as a remainder had a few odd dollars left after paying his bills

(2) : constituting a small amount had some odd change in her pocket

3a : being any of the integers (such as −3, −1, +1, and +3) that are not divisible by two without leaving a remainder

b : marked by an odd number of units needed two odd-length boards, one of three feet and one of five feet

c : being a function (see function entry 1 sense 5a) such that f (−x) = −f (x) where the sign is reversed but the absolute value remains the same if the sign of the independent variable is reversed

4a : not regular, expected, or planned worked at odd jobs

b : encountered or experienced from time to time : occasional manages to get in some reading at odd moments

5 : having an out-of-the-way location : remote found it in some odd corner of the house

6 : differing markedly from the usual, ordinary, or accepted : peculiar a very odd way to show gratitude

ODD

abbreviation

Definition of ODD (Entry 2 of 2)

oppositional defiant disorder

Other Words from odd Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about odd

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Synonyms & Antonyms for odd

Synonyms: Adjective

unmatched, unpaired

Antonyms: Adjective

matched, paired

Choose the Right Synonym for odd

Adjective

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

Examples of odd in a Sentence

Adjective

She had an odd look on her face. People would call at odd hours during the night. She's got a really odd sense of humor. Some rather odd people used to live in this house. There was something odd about his story. It's odd that nobody told me about this before. That's odd. He was here a minute ago. That is one of the oddest creatures I have ever seen. She kept a stack of magazines that she would read at odd moments. During the summer, he would do odd jobs for his neighbors to earn extra money.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Which is odd but there is an element that’s real to it. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "The media is responsible for President Trump and it still hasn’t learned from 2016, says Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi," 18 Oct. 2018 NGC 3256's odd, distorted shape betrays its violent origins: The galaxy is the product of a collision between two spiral galaxies that astronomers think occurred about 500 million years ago. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "Galaxy Distorted by Long-Ago Collision Glows in Gorgeous Hubble Photo," 1 June 2018 New Horizons has been watching Ultima Thule for three months and hasn’t spotted any brightness change, which is really odd. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Something Weird Is Going on With New Horizons' Next Target," 21 Dec. 2018 One odd potential side effect of typical antipsychotics is something known as tardive dyskinesia, a condition characterized by repetitive involuntary movements that usually occur in the face, neck, and tongue. — Kimberly Truong, SELF, "11 Side Effects of Antipsychotics You Should Know About," 7 Dec. 2018 Most 18th and 19th-century Americans thought the tradition was odd though, and to some it was even taken to be a representation of paganism. — Nicol Natale, Woman's Day, "Why Do We Have Christmas Trees?," 15 Nov. 2018 Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author and contributor to NBC News, also points to the location of the target, Paris, as odd. — NBC News, "Was it an Iranian terror plot or a false flag operation?," 6 July 2018 For the President of the United States to send that signal to a North Korean general struck many people as odd at best, and insulting at worst, to the tens of thousands of North Koreans who have struggled under Kim's dictatorship. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "What was Donald Trump thinking when he saluted a North Korean general?," 14 June 2018 The measure struck some lawmakers as odd coming from the head of the Republican Caucus. — Julia O'donoghue, NOLA.com, "John Bel Edwards vetoes bill meant to help businesses like House GOP chairman's," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'odd.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.