strangeness

noun strange·ness \ ˈstrānj-nəs \

Updated on: 1 Apr 2018

Definition of strangeness

1 : the quality or state of being strange

2 : the flavor characterizing a strange quark

Recent Examples of strangeness from the Web

That existential strangeness gets under your skin, despite how often people tend to ignore it.

— shakeil greeley, GQ, "Atlanta Robbin' Season Lets Hiro Murai Embrace the Weirdness of Real Life," 9 Mar. 2018
Anyone who’s followed Ortberg’s career wouldn’t expect anything less than the blend of searing intelligence, high-brow strangeness, and wit present in each story.

— allie briggs, refinery29.com, "This Author Is Reinventing Fairy Tale Princesses, & You'll Hardly Recognize Them," 14 Mar. 2018
Burke also talks about the strangeness of returning to her life as a student.

— elaine aradillas, PEOPLE.com, "Voices of Parkland: Student Survivors Share Their Heart-Wrenching Memories From the Deadly Stoneman Douglas Shooting," 13 Mar. 2018
The strangeness extends back, of course, to Hildebrand Gurlitt.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Persistent Crime of Nazi-Looted Art," 11 Mar. 2018
The filmmaker had noted the strangeness of the email, but figured that was just Bowie.

— zach schonfeld, Newsweek, "Inside David Bowie's Final Years: A New HBO Documentary Reveals the Making of 'Blackstar' and 'The Next Day'," 7 Jan. 2018
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich seemed very amused by all of this strangeness.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Manu’s strange shot almost didn’t count because Michael Beasley acted like he missed," 2 Jan. 2018
Today the city is home to one of the most exciting dining scenes in Europe—exciting not primarily because of the quality of the cooking but because of the inventiveness, flamboyance, and downright strangeness of the experiences on offer.

— alex halberstadt, Town & Country, "The Surreal Thrill of Moscow Dining," 9 Oct. 2015
Matt notes the strangeness of seeing his father amidst flashing lights, techno hip-hop and throngs of suggestive dancers.

— andy benoit, SI.com, "Anxious Waiting, then a Knock on the Door: With Jerry Kramer When He Gets the Call to the Hall," 4 Feb. 2018

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

First Known Use of strangeness

14th century

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Spanish Central: Translation of strangeness Nglish: Translation of strangeness for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about strangeness

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