1
as in unusual
being out of the ordinary
a completely abnormal school day, because half of the kids were out sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unnatural
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
noticed his abnormal breathing and took him to the emergency room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 abnormal
Previously, the Jersey Shore star shared that an abnormal pap smear result led her to undergo a colposcopy and biopsy, which found cancerous spots on the top of her cervix.
—
Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Emerging research suggests an association between tear gas and abnormal menstrual cycles and miscarriage.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
Stray dogs aren’t an abnormal occurrence but Sierra had something most stray dogs didn’t.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Goenka said one signature of early cancer that the AI model was able to detect is abnormal cells in the pancreas that shelter and protect cancer from the body’s immune defenses.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abnormal
Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Emerging research suggests an association between tear gas and abnormal menstrual cycles and miscarriage.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
Stray dogs aren’t an abnormal occurrence but Sierra had something most stray dogs didn’t.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Goenka said one signature of early cancer that the AI model was able to detect is abnormal cells in the pancreas that shelter and protect cancer from the body’s immune defenses.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abnormal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnormal
Adjective
-
The Sun forms a cazimi with Mercury in Taurus in your 3rd House of Communication, illuminating messages, conversations, errands, and daily decisions with unusual clarity.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The unusual move would allow the administration to bypass a public bidding process, relying on a deal for engineering services already underway at the White House.—
Sarah Blaskey,
Washington Post,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Over the course of Obsession's 108-minute runtime, Nikki transforms into an self-destructive, possessive, and dangerously violent shadow of her former self as Bear's spell forces her to fixate solely on her unnatural devotion to him—no matter the cost.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
As real trees begin to bloom outside, photographer Widline Cadet picks through two playfully oversized bouquets of positively unnatural plastic flowers.—
Elly Fishman,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nowhere is this truer than in Russia, a nation marked by a long history of political repression alongside extraordinary literary brilliance, a rare and uneasy combination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
In the dark tunnels of an active mine near Timmins, Ontario, something extraordinary is leaking out of the Earth.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The incidents involving contact with chains, trailer hitches, poles, and curbs indicate recurring limitations in detecting smaller or irregular obstacles, especially during reversing maneuvers.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
The more familiar symptoms came too — night sweats and irregular periods — but Watts says doctors were slow to connect the dots.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Toulouse pride themselves on a blend of youth and experience in their ranks, but this teenager was exceptional.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
This may seem especially strange given birds’ exceptional vision.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mental-health support is often discussed in broad terms, but meaningful progress happens when care is local, comprehensive and responsive to the unique needs of individuals and families.—
Maria Bledsoe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
Bohun Sandra’s thoughts and approach are so unique.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the very rare instances of direct danger, like encountering a particularly nasty beast with huge scythe claws, getting hit only leads to the screen fading out and Yoshi reappearing at the start of the stage.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
19 May 2026
-
Prosecutions of Florida officers who fire their weapons are exceedingly rare.—
Ella Moore,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
All the craft is in humble service of a screenplay uncommon for its faith in the power of language and communication to transform and to console.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
The Sun forms a cazimi with Mercury in Taurus in your 1st House of Self, helping your words, choices, and presence align with uncommon clarity.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abnormal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnormal. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
