Definition of QUIRK

Other Words from quirk

Noun

quirkily \ ˈkwər-kə-lē

\ adverb

quirkiness \ ˈkwər-kē-nəs

\ noun

quirkish \ ˈkwər-kish

\ adjective

quirky \ ˈkwər-kē

\ adjective

Did You Know?

Verb

Did you expect quirk to be a noun meaning "a peculiarity of action or behavior"? If so, you're probably not alone; the "peculiarity" sense of the noun quirk is commonly known and has been a part of our language since the 17th century. But quirk has long worn other hats in English, too. The sense meaning "a curve, turn, or twist" has named everything from curving pen marks on paper (i.e., flourishes) to witty turns of phrase to the vagaries or twists of fate. In contemporary English, the verb quirk is most often used in referring to facial expressions, especially those that involve crooked smiles or furrowed eyebrows.

Examples of quirk in a Sentence

Noun

Everyone has their little quirks. wearing red shoes every day is just one of her quirks

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The narrative centers around Debra Newell’s relationship with John Meehan, and how her daughters start to notice his quirks morph into manipulations. — Allie Volpe, Teen Vogue, "10 Best Crime Podcasts," 30 Aug. 2018 And while her husband might be a TED Talk fanboy and just plain obsessed with working in tech, Bernadette has plenty of her own quirks (some great, others…not so great) to discover as well. — Rachel King, Fortune, "Your Summer Reading List: Page-Turning Novels Set in Politics, Finance, and Tech," 6 July 2018 All of his quirks, memories and stories help Huffine make this space a home. — Louisville Courier Journal, The Courier-Journal, "Blast from the past: This Glenmary home is a collector's paradise," 28 June 2018 His colleagues are annoying misfits, described by their quirks, like the fastidious Fredrik Melander, who has a photographic memory, passionately loves his ugly wife, and spends too much time on the toilet. — Alice Bolin, Longreads, "The Daughter as Detective," 26 June 2018 For all of its low-budget quirks (sometimes the coloring is off, some shots last longer than any moment of intense eye contact should), the series has an endearing warmth. — Jesse Sparks, Bon Appetit, "This Queer Cooking Show Reinvigorated My Pride in Home Cooking," 22 June 2018 Each of the five rooms, while on the smaller side, has its own fun quirks and touches. — Kristin Luna, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Best Hotels in Nashville," 27 Feb. 2018 The Supreme Court should reflect the Constitution and the country, not the quirks of longevity. — Ezra Klein, Vox, "Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the case for 18-year Supreme Court terms," 26 Dec. 2018 This design quirk is exacerbated in MM11 by the fact that levels feel a tad longer than the usual length Mega Man veterans might expect. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Mega Man 11 review: Switching gears," 1 Oct. 2018

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