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
-
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
-
Moore is the closest thing going to Jeremiyah Love in terms of an unnatural talent.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Both political insurgents were elected under extraordinary circumstances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
The extraordinary Denis Compton was one of England’s great batters over two decades from the late 1930s to the late 50s but was good enough as a footballer to win the league and FA Cup as a winger with Arsenal.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
10 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
-
The loss marked an early end for the Frost, which had previously gone a perfect 6-0 when facing elimination in the PWHL playoffs, and halted the team’s quest for a rare threepeat.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 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 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
