weird

adjective

\ˈwird

Definition of weird

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of strange or extraordinary character : odd, fantastic

2 : of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural : magical

weird

noun

Definition of weird (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : fate, destiny especially : ill fortune

2 : soothsayer

Other Words from weird Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Shakespeare's Connection to Weird Example Sentences Learn More about weird

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Choose the Right Synonym for weird

Adjective

weird, eerie, uncanny mean mysteriously strange or fantastic. weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress queerness or oddness. weird creatures from another world eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work. an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness. an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

Shakespeare's Connection to Weird

Noun

You may know today's word as a generalized term describing something unusual, but weird also has older meanings that are more specific. Weird derives from the Old English noun wyrd, essentially meaning "fate." By the 8th century, the plural wyrde had begun to appear in texts as a gloss for Parcae, the Latin name for the Fates—three goddesses who spun, measured, and cut the thread of life. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Scots authors employed werd or weird in the phrase "weird sisters" to refer to the Fates. William Shakespeare adopted this usage in Macbeth, in which the "weird sisters" are depicted as three witches. Subsequent adjectival use of weird grew out of a reinterpretation of the weird used by Shakespeare.

Examples of weird in a Sentence

Adjective

Cosmic strings are second only to black holes in the astrophysicist's pantheon of weird objects. They are narrow, ultradense filaments formed during a phase transition—called inflation—within the first microsecond of cosmic history. — Steve Nadis, Astronomy, October 2005 If you looked at them closely you realized they were carved with weird, pagan creatures, more like hobgoblins than men, half hidden among trees and leaves—here acanthus and there what looked like a palm tree. — Kate Atkinson, Case Histories, 2004 As an extended fictional device allegory is used mainly in didactic, satirical fables, such as Gulliver's Travels, Animal Farm and Erewhon. In these masterpieces a surface realism of presentation gives the fantastic events a kind of weird plausibility … — David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992 My little brother acts weird sometimes. I heard a weird noise. That's weird—I put my book down right here just a few minutes ago and now it's gone.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Sleeping in your childhood bedroom is inherently weird even if your family is lovely, and Camille’s decision to stay here feels close to masochistic. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sharp Objects Episode 1: Home Is Where the Horror Is," 9 July 2018 Rotimi Paul is unnerving as a drug addict dubbed Skeletor, who turns out to be too weird even for conspiracy theorists to control. — Mark Olsen, latimes.com, "Review: 'The First Purge' delivers genre pleasures with a timely message of resilience," 3 July 2018 Mandy’ was playing three nights in a row….It was so weird. — Kathleen A. Hughes, WSJ, "He Writes the Songs That Make the Neighbors Cry ‘No More Barry Manilow!’," 27 June 2018 Some of the best sketches of this past season either did something unexpected or were just weird as hell. — Luke Darby, GQ, "Alec Baldwin Creepily Invites Melania Trump to SNL and Promises Her Redemption," 24 June 2018 Back in the early days of American Idol, fans loved watching the weird tension between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum’s Twitter "Feud" During 'America's Got Talent' Was Epic," 6 June 2018 This exotic form of matter — neither solid nor liquid nor gas — allows scientists to observe the weird world of quantum mechanics, a somewhat mind-bending branch of physics that describes how matter behaves on the smallest scales. — Denise Chow /, NBC News, "Space station experiment will create the coldest spot in the universe," 22 June 2018 What’s weird is that none of us ever talk about it with anyone else. — Jaclyn Friedman, Teen Vogue, "What to Do If You Have an Abusive Dad," 17 June 2018 Rather than this weird world where something would attempt to talk to the GL renderer. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Talkin’ Treble: How Android engineers are winning the war on fragmentation," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But there’s no more time to rest, Betty’s alarm is blaring and her mother and brother are acting like nothing weird happened the night before. — Jessica Macleish, Teen Vogue, ""Riverdale" Recap Season 2 Episode 13: Archie Learns the Truth About Agent Adams," 8 Feb. 2018 Lewis called the off-season market weird, especially for guys his age. — Stefan Stevenson, star-telegram.com, "Colby Lewis hoped to return but Rangers never offered guarantee," 16 June 2017

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

History and Etymology for weird

Adjective

from construal as an adjective of weird entry 2 in weird sisters, name for the Fates of Greek and Roman myth (early Scots werd sisteris, Middle English wyrde systeres, Shakespeare weyard/weyward sisters, applied to the witches in Macbeth)

Noun

Middle English wird, werd, going back to Old English wyrd, going back to Germanic *wurdi- "fate, chance" (whence Old Saxon wurđ "fate," Old High German wurt, Old Norse urðr), derivative from the base of *werþan- "to come about, happen, become" — more at worth entry 4