oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
Definition of oddballnext
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits she's known as the office oddball

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

oddball

2 of 2

adjective

as in bizarre

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oddball
Noun
Black Rock Coalition bands like funk-metal group 24-7 Spyz and shoegaze oddballs the Veldt—particularly when the Veldt’s murkiness resolves into a major-key chorus. — Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026 His trilogy is, likewise, a straphangers’ gallery of metropolitan oddballs, from Zippo, a pyromaniac turned blaxploitation filmmaker, to Uncle Rich, a master criminal who stages a daring raid on the Waldorf-Astoria from a disused train tunnel with the help of a homeless army. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Adjective
Gillis and co-creators Steve Gerben, John McKeever have put together a great cast of oddball characters, including Stavros Halkias’ Dave and Thomas Haden Church’s Phil Jacobs. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026 But the confidence of this hard pivot and the thrillingly oddball noise construction absolutely hail from the same world as QT and SOPHIE’s exquisitely abrasive 2015 compilation, Product. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball
  1. eccentric
  2. bizarre
  3. character
  4. unusual
  5. original
  6. kooky
Noun
  • No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • With its loose ends and digressions, Dream Me a Dream stays true to those idiosyncratic instincts while retaining enough of the welcoming glow of Dance of Love to make this an affecting farewell from an endearing eccentric.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • After meeting with a young, female director, who offers him the chance to play a bizarre and deeply unsympathetic character in her debut feature, Niaz leaves the audition unconvinced (and pretty offended).
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Barring anything bizarre unfolding in the next few weeks, Smack will almost certainly be the Packers’ Week 1 kicker in Minnesota.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Noun
  • And magically, the architects and designers have achieved this without compromising its unique character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Captivated by the unknown, meeting characters as elusive as those in a Homer epic, Niaz sets in motion an irreversible process of self-transformation.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • Its unusual features give it a curious, almost surprised expression, helping people connect with a species rarely seen outside its coral home.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers used Jefferson Lab’s Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) to produce the experiment’s unusual probe.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of unusual
Noun
  • The streamer will also aim to double the number of local originals produced across these five countries compared to 2026.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The plan for the new Balan’s is not to mimic the original, which first opened in 1997, in every respect.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • For the kooky, mischievous and not-often-sober Shifty Gruff, Sheen was always the number one choice.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The actor debuted a promotional photo shoot in support of his new movie Digger that gives a closer look at his kooky oil tycoon character from Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s upcoming satire.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Definition of kooky

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oddballs
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Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddball. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of oddball for Spanish Speakers

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