Definition of bizarrenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word bizarre different from other adjectives like it?

The words fantastic and grotesque are common synonyms of bizarre. While all three words mean "conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality," bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.

a bizarre medieval castle in the heart of a modern city

When can fantastic be used instead of bizarre?

While the synonyms fantastic and bizarre are close in meaning, fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.

dreamed up fantastic rumors

When might grotesque be a better fit than bizarre?

Although the words grotesque and bizarre have much in common, grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.

grotesque statues on the cathedral
though grieving, she made a grotesque attempt at a smile

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 bizarre The bizarre souvenir became a viral sensation and almost managed to overshadow his Dolce & Gabbana bag. Dylan Jones, Robb Report, 16 July 2026 Known for embracing the bizarre, the festival announced Shatner’s addition alongside an intentionally outrageous artist rider that mixes legitimate backstage requests with impossible demands directed at the city of Chicago itself. Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Soccer fans were here and our producer observed some waiting for breaks in the traffic to pose with their Spanish and French flags by the second X in the middle of the road, in what was quite a bizarre scene. Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 The new footage reveals the first proper look at Cruise’s bizarre character Digger Rockwell. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bizarre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bizarre
Adjective
  • In each social-commentary-teetering-on-horror episode, Nanno is a pupil at a different school, picture perfect and scanning the room for whatever secrets — an abusive teacher, an absurd hierarchical system, petty jealousy — demand to be revealed.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Cattelan spoke to the Financial Times about the strange afterlife of the work, which has become both a symbol of the art market’s excesses and a reminder of his talent for turning absurd ideas into global spectacles.
    George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
Adjective
  • While Deliverance follows more or less in the footsteps of Blackwater Park, Damnation digs into a strange new realm for the band, uncovering something even darker.
    Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
  • Downstate, the threat of black vultures still feels new and strange.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Adjective
  • What saves Hyperdrive is the dry humour and the slightly insane set and character design.
    William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
  • Every single story about his time in Hollywood was about a major movie, a major director, and lots of drugs and insane scandal.
    William Earl, Variety, 14 July 2026
Adjective
  • This is a moody, weird, haunting, often beautiful film, punctuated by sudden violence and horror.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Their books are weird and beautifully eccentric, and often highlight obscure and experimental writers from the 18th and 19th century.
    Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Adjective
  • Johnson continued this week to push for his foolish and counterproductive desire to impose a $33-per-month tax on each Chicago job generated by the city’s largest private-sector employers.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
  • As is, this is a foolish thriller that prompts the occasional snicker but not much more.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Adjective
  • During the presentation of the winners’ medals, many of Romero’s team-mates stayed down the other end of the pitch, with their backs to the ceremony (although there was the odd exception, such as Alexis Mac Allister).
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Offering caregiving support may seem odd for a financial advising firm, but more than 63 million Americans (nearly one in four adults) are caregivers, and nearly one in three support both a parent and a child, AARP said.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • These digital technologies have also created an echo chamber of self-confirming views, which has contributed to an unreal, simplified view of a nuanced, messy world.
    Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • The air is fresh and clean, the pace is calm, and the views are unreal.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026
Adjective
  • The 26-year-old Houston native was an instant draw for audiences, who connected with her funny, outspoken—yet still plenty vulnerable—personality.
    Rachel Brodsky, Time, 14 July 2026
  • More than just funny mistakes Spoonerisms are only one kind of speech error.
    Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 14 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bizarre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bizarre. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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