unusual

adjective

un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyü-zhə-wəl 

-zhəl;

-ˈyüzh-wəl

: not usual: as

a

: not normal or typical

It's unusual for him to work this late.

b

: different or strange in a way that attracts attention

an unusual design

c

: uncommon, rare

saw an unusual flower while hiking

d

: extraordinary sense 1, remarkable

a scholar of unusual ability

unusually adverb

unusualness noun

Synonyms of unusual

• uncommon
• strange
• funny
• weird
• rare
• extraordinary

Examples of unusual in a Sentence

It's not unusual for him to stay late at work.

a scene of unusual beauty

She has an unusual name.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are even more unusual ways to explore the world than living on a cruise ship or traveling alongside cargo. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

That isn’t unusual for someone who draws and paints every day — but this latest dirt is real, dug from the ground in Yorkshire and Warwickshire, England, and used as the medium for her drawings of trees and landscapes. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Why the dome may have survived An object this large surviving reentry is not necessarily unusual. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

And now Great Question will, hopefully CBS News thinks, bring that voice to new places, in a digital expansion that is unusual for an evening news anchor. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unusual

• cruel and unusual punishment

Rhymes for unusual

• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual
• nonrenewal
• nonsexual
• cruel
• dual
• duel
• fuel

Kids Definition

unusual

adjective

un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyüzh-(ə-)wəl 

-ˈyü-zhəl

: not usual : uncommon, rare

unusually

-ē

adverb

unusualness noun