ECCENTRIC Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'eccentric' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of eccentric are erratic , odd , outlandish , peculiar , quaint , singular , strange , and unique . While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. // the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

Q: When is 'erratic' a more appropriate choice than 'eccentric'?

While the synonyms erratic and eccentric are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. // a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

Q: When is it sensible to use 'odd' instead of 'eccentric'?

While in some cases nearly identical to eccentric , odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. // an odd sense of humor

Q: Where would 'outlandish' be a reasonable alternative to 'eccentric'?

Although the words outlandish and eccentric have much in common, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. // outlandish fashions of the time

Q: When could 'peculiar' be used to replace 'eccentric'?

The meanings of peculiar and eccentric largely overlap; however, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. // the peculiar status of America's first lady

Q: In what contexts can 'quaint' take the place of 'eccentric'?

In some situations, the words quaint and eccentric are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. // a quaint fishing village

Q: When can 'singular' be used instead of 'eccentric'?

The words singular and eccentric can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. // a singular feeling of impending disaster

Q: When would 'strange' be a good substitute for 'eccentric'?

The words strange and eccentric are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. // a journey filled with strange sights

Q: When might 'unique' be a better fit than 'eccentric'?

The synonyms unique and eccentric are sometimes interchangeable, but unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. // a career unique in the annals of science

eccentric 1 of 2

adjective

ik-ˈsen-trik

Definition of eccentric next

as in bizarre

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion his eccentric decorating style isn't going over well with the neighbors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

eccentric

2 of 2

noun

as in character

a person of odd or whimsical habits an eccentric who designed his house to look like a Scottish castle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eccentric distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of eccentric are erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When is erratic a more appropriate choice than eccentric?

While the synonyms erratic and eccentric are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When is it sensible to use odd instead of eccentric?

While in some cases nearly identical to eccentric, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

Where would outlandish be a reasonable alternative to eccentric?

Although the words outlandish and eccentric have much in common, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When could peculiar be used to replace eccentric?

The meanings of peculiar and eccentric largely overlap; however, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

In what contexts can quaint take the place of eccentric?

In some situations, the words quaint and eccentric are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

When can singular be used instead of eccentric?

The words singular and eccentric can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When would strange be a good substitute for eccentric?

The words strange and eccentric are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might unique be a better fit than eccentric?

The synonyms unique and eccentric are sometimes interchangeable, but unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

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 eccentric

Adjective

But Verlaine remained a guiding light in New York music, on his own eccentric terms, inspiring experimental rads like Sonic Youth. —

Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026 Similar to eccentric and rebellious Aquarius, Timon rejects traditional norms, creating an entirely different way of living. —

Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

Noun

But the film is really a tour of a pre-gentrified East Village, full of low-key bars and cafes, run-down apartments, eccentrics and struggling artists. —

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 Once a stronghold of canneries and lumber mills, the town has numerous tumbledown Victorians that have long been havens for artists, brewers, and various eccentrics—along with fans of The Goonies, who make pilgrimages to see where the seminal movie was shot. —

David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for eccentric

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eccentric

Adjective

In a bizarre scene at the ceremony, his troops stood at attention as Ríos addressed them in a live video feed from a Bogotá prison.

— John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
This has produced a toxic and bizarre backlash.

— Tom Deignan, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026

Definition of bizarre

Noun

The organization is seeking investors willing to accept modest returns in exchange for preserving historic buildings, supporting local businesses and maintaining the character of West Marin communities.

— Kenny Choi, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Elementary school-age kids like Jimmy may enjoy the aquarium at the Seas with Nemo & Friends, games at the exit to Spaceship Earth, character greetings at CommuniCore Hall, different soda flavors from around the world in Club Cool and rides like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 June 2026

Definition of character

Adjective

Informal Beyblade battles are popping up in strangest of places, with players huddling in parks, gyms and shopping malls.

— Chris Lau, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
The falseness of the medium, though, jibed with the falseness of most attempts, throughout American history, to make sense of this enormous, strange man.

— Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Definition of strange

Noun

Black Rock Coalition bands like funk-metal group 24-7 Spyz and shoegaze oddballs the Veldt—particularly when the Veldt’s murkiness resolves into a major-key chorus.

— Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
His trilogy is, likewise, a straphangers’ gallery of metropolitan oddballs, from Zippo, a pyromaniac turned blaxploitation filmmaker, to Uncle Rich, a master criminal who stages a daring raid on the Waldorf-Astoria from a disused train tunnel with the help of a homeless army.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Definition of oddball

Noun

The spectacularly antic tale of originals and doubles, locals and outsiders, visually and philosophically lampoons the very concept of identity.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
The 2005 original was given a relatively large $33 million to play with, directed by a future Emmy winner, and graced with cameos from legends Alan Shearer and Zinedine Zidane.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of original

Noun

Richard Dreyfuss stars as an Indiana electric lineman/dad who gets discombobulated after a light from a passing UFO compels him to do weirdo things — like build a mountain replica inside of his home.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Himes’ novels, like Riley’s films, also run on a bench of eccentric weirdos.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026