1
as in strange
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
one competitor had a queer way of running that attracted a lot of attention from the spectators
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced
a lot of queer things started happening almost from the day that we moved into the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
queer business practices that bear some looking into
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to humble
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in to gum (up)
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of queer
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Was this his way of queering e-commerce, subverting the platform from within?
—Oscar Schwartz, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2024
Fish lesbians often queered feminine aesthetics, warping heteronormative and cisnormative expectations of gender to play with them in more imaginative ways.
—Quispe López, Them, 1 Aug. 2024
Almodóvar’s gaze is more like a series of fun house mirrors here, passing through classic dime-store-novel narrative, the macho-man canon of midcentury Technicolor westerns and the winky camp of queering it all in circa-2023 couture.
—Leah Greenblatt, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Verb
These films have always carried rich undercurrents: the corporate exploitation of blue-collar workers (the Nostromo crew, the marines in Aliens, the kids of Romulus), queered reproduction via body horror, Ripley’s evolving incarnations of motherhood, human hubris punished by its own creations.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Was this his way of queering e-commerce, subverting the platform from within?
—Oscar Schwartz, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2024
Fish lesbians often queered feminine aesthetics, warping heteronormative and cisnormative expectations of gender to play with them in more imaginative ways.
—Quispe López, Them, 1 Aug. 2024
Almodóvar’s gaze is more like a series of fun house mirrors here, passing through classic dime-store-novel narrative, the macho-man canon of midcentury Technicolor westerns and the winky camp of queering it all in circa-2023 couture.
—Leah Greenblatt, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for queer
Adjective
-
The choice of Olivier Boscagli at left-back at Fulham, for example, a contributing factor in Chukwueze’s equaliser, was strange.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In a dispatch from Minneapolis, chaun webster considers the strange familiarity of ICE and the limits of our language.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This storm is unusual in that normally, the type of system that brings us big snow chances comes in from the southwest with a low-pressure track that takes it almost due north.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
But for an amphibian, this is a highly unusual and evolutionarily creative solution.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The rest of us will sit here with Belichick, sick to our stomachs.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Now, the fear is getting sick or stuck far from home.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The ingredient lists are often questionable, loaded with gums, stabilizers, oils, and added sugars that brands throw in to make their products taste and act like real milk.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Outside of those three young players and Cam Skattebo, Schoen has consistently made questionable decisions since landing in New York and has a 22-45-1 record to show for it.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Known as a fiery driver for much of his career, learning of his induction was humbling.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Jan. 2026
-
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Like life is a pool table but the billiard balls are all weighted in a funny way.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously funny and ultimately inspiring.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Snow, ice, and especially strong crosswinds can make driving unpredictable, and whiteouts aren’t uncommon during storms.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
24 Jan. 2026
-
This combination of growth and capital returns is uncommon in tech hardware.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump has issued two hundred and twenty-eight executive orders—eight more than in his entire first term and sixty-six more than Joe Biden did in his four years—along with other dubious actions and pronouncements.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2026
-
And because Western insurers are forbidden from insuring them, tankers often operate with dubious Russian insurance, or no insurance at all.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Queer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/queer. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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