oddball

noun

odd·​ball ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
: one that is eccentric
oddball adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Annihilation of Fish, directed by Charles Burnett and released in 1999 and now newly restored by Kino Lorber, features an oddball, interracial romance played by the late actors James Earl Jones as Obadiah Fish and Lynn Redgrave as Poinsettia Cummings. Armond White, National Review, 25 June 2025 The evergreen revolving door of oddballs and cynics populating that Manhattan arraignment court in the wee hours of the night and at the center of it all a workplace family that will forever be... until next time. EW.com, 19 June 2025 Similarly to her dad, Abby tries to bring order to her crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a character from the original series. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 June 2025 Maybe the most polished of the new Latin oddballs I’ve been obsessed with is EQ. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for oddball

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oddball was in 1948

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Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddball. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

oddball

noun
odd·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
: a person who behaves strangely

More from Merriam-Webster on oddball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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