quirky

adjective

ˈkwər-kē 

quirkier; quirkiest

: having many quirks : unusual in especially an interesting or appealing way

a quirky sense of humor

quirky ideas/behavior

a quirky and creative artist

… the SoHo store known for its modern, often quirky home accessories …

—Marianne Rohrlich

The result is an extraordinarily fine film, a quieter, more centered vision of Garp's world that loses little of the quirky humor of the original …

—Molly Haskell

quirkily

ˈkwər-kə-lē 

adverb

His political ideas, which had seemed quirkily brilliant in the 1900's …

—Wilfrid Sheed

… he is gregarious and energetic and … enjoys a quirkily methodical, omnivorous turn of mind …

—Cullen Murphy

quirkiness

ˈkwər-kē-nəs 

noun

… is gaining international prominence in interior-design circles simply because its content diverges with typically English quirkiness, from that of its competitors.

—John Duka

Synonyms of quirky

• bizarre
• funny
• strange
• weird
• odd
• curious
• peculiar
• eccentric
• erratic
• remarkable
• unusual
• crazy

Examples of quirky in a Sentence

the waitress styles her hair in a quirky way that always gets her remembered by customers

Recent Examples on the Web

Separated into two areas, the first is the mellow bar (for pre and post-spa cocktails, mocktails, and detox juices) and four quirky pink manicure pods that look like disjointed train carriages. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

Treat it as an excuse to wear more outspoken pieces from here on out, whether this implies bright-and-striped sweaters or fuzzy, quirky boat shoes. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

After being forced to retire amid health issues, Madden, with his quirky, homespun style, reinvented himself as an NFL analyst and the football brain behind EA’s video game franchise that would become one of the best selling ever. — Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

Echo has built its reputation on quirky plays idiosyncratically performed. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quirky

• jerky
• murky
• perky
• turki