outlandish

adjective

out·land·ish | \ˌau̇t-ˈlan-dish

Definition of outlandish

1 : of or relating to another country : foreign saw many outlandish animals at the zoo

2a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre an outlandish costume Her book is filled with outlandish characters. spun some outlandish tales

b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards workers complain of outlandish hours— Joan E. Rigdon outlandish government specifications

3 : remote from civilization no other young men foolish enough to offer to go to such an outlandish station — Geog. Jour.

Other Words from outlandish Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about outlandish

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for outlandish

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

Did You Know?

In olden times, English speakers used the phrase outlandish man to refer to a foreigner - or, one who came from an outland, which originally meant "a foreign land." From here, outlandish broadened in usage from a word meaning "from another land" to one describing something unfamiliar or strange. Dress was a common early target for the adjective - Henry Fielding, in Tom Jones (1749), writes of a woman who was drest in one of your outlandish Garments. Nowadays, the word can be applied to anything that strikes us as out of the ordinary, as in the description of one man’s outlandish proposal to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge with a seven-mile tunnel, from the New York Times, September 16, 2001.

Examples of outlandish in a Sentence

She fills her books with outlandish characters. The actress wore an outlandish dress to the awards ceremony.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eugenie and Beatrice are known for their love of outlandish headwear and extreme hats—but never tiaras. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Why Princess Eugenie Can't Wear a Tiara But Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Can," 23 Aug. 2018 Three not-so-outlandish upsets that could create confusion for the selection committee: 1. — Ralph D. Russo, The Seattle Times, "Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan hold steady in CFP," 14 Nov. 2018 His dreams are grand and outlandish, but that has yet to slow him down. — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "Million Dollar Moves: After His Unlikely Baseball Career Flamed Out, Rinku Singh's Next Stop Is WWE," 3 July 2018 Some of Giuliani’s statements have been outlandish, and some have arguably been damaging to the president’s cause. — Washington Post, "Giuliani trying to influence perception of Mueller probe," 8 June 2018 The trajectory that seems so outlandish to strangers is slightly less so to those who have known Slat from childhood. — James Rainey /, NBC News, "A young Dutch inventor wants to clean plastic from the ocean. Can he do it?," 13 June 2018 Top YouTube stars like Mr. Paul, known for pushing the envelope with outlandish behavior that would not be acceptable on mainstream television, present a particular problem. — Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, "YouTube Drops Online Star Logan Paul From Premium Advertising," 10 Jan. 2018 The defensive scheme that seemed too outlandish—that relied on a big to cover the floor like a guard? — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "The LeBron James Experiment: Considering NBA Free Agency Scenarios for The King," 27 June 2018 Besides the competitors, there’s another draw: George Shea—the event’s host, or Master of Ceremonies—who delivers a series of verbose, outlandish and occasionally inspired introductions of the competitors. — Alejandro De La Garza, Time, "'I Love Things That Are Absurd.' Meet the Man Who Turned Nathan's Hot Dog-Eating Contest Into a National Obsession," 3 July 2018

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