oddball

noun

odd·​ball ˈäd-ˌbȯl 

: one that is eccentric

oddball adjective

Synonyms of oddball

• eccentric
• character
• original

Examples of oddball in a Sentence

He used to be a real oddball back in high school.

she's known as the office oddball

Recent Examples on the Web

No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

The Ramones stood on stage not as rock gods or unattainable heroes, but as oddballs, misfits, and fellow outcasts in torn jeans. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

The Wylkes Society’s members include many of the amiable oddballs Miles has met around town. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026

Survivor planet is a real oddball The gas giant WD 1856 b was first discovered in 2020 by NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and the Spitzer Space Telescope. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oddball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

oddball

noun

odd·​ball -ˌbȯl 

: a person who behaves strangely