as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
some studies show that many violent criminals begin exhibiting deviant behavior in early childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
branded as social deviants by a society that did not value self-expression
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deviant
Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Like its deviant neighbor to the south, Goose Island, Lincoln Yards is full of confusing little streets that don’t line up with the Chicago grid and bear names not found in any other neighborhood.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Cool people aren't merely deviants.
—Caleb Warren, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviant
Adjective
From Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein's macabre legacy gave birth to fictional monsters born in his image and ignited a cultural obsession with the criminally deviant.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Like its deviant neighbor to the south, Goose Island, Lincoln Yards is full of confusing little streets that don’t line up with the Chicago grid and bear names not found in any other neighborhood.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
From Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein's macabre legacy gave birth to fictional monsters born in his image and ignited a cultural obsession with the criminally deviant.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Cool people aren't merely deviants.
—Caleb Warren, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviant
Adjective
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Roasty and savory like garlic butter before dessert, where fragrances can become an abnormal testament to a brief, unyielding safety.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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And to feel momentary dismay and stress and sadness or anxiety in response to it strikes me as a normal human response to an abnormal event.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Bamberger, often regarded as a maverick, proved that degraded land could be revived.—
Lana Ferguson,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Hancock himself changed the genre forever through his maverick forays into jazz fusion in the 1970s.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
31 Dec. 2025
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The handsome pair of actors play sniper specialists from enemy countries who must each take a long shift on opposite sides of a massive trench where some unnatural monsters apparently lurk below.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
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As with all art forms, the world of nails offers something for everyone, from the austere to the eccentric.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
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Also, Joan Cusack plays an infamous local eccentric, and a fictional pop star shows up!—
Mary Sollosi,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deviant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviant. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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