idiosyncrasy

noun

ˌi-dē-ə-ˈsiŋ-krə-sē How to pronounce idiosyncrasy (audio)
Definition of idiosyncrasynext
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit his only idiosyncrasy is his inveterate wearing of sneakers, even with business suits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 idiosyncrasy Nina Simone’s definition of freedom, in the early 1970s, as the absence of fear, and Gaye’s license to express oneself, down to every last funky idiosyncrasy. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 With exceptional performances from the entire cast and homages to musical legends like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Bioh and White present a reflection of the Black female experience in all of its dazzling idiosyncrasies, triumphs and pains. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 Two new books argue that this is the wrong debate to be having, since swing voters, with all their idiosyncrasies, don’t see politics through a lens of moderates versus progressives. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 Much of his work has poked at the idiosyncrasies and absurdities of modern business, some of it toeing the line between documentary and fiction. — Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for idiosyncrasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiosyncrasy
  1. trick
  2. trait
  3. characteristic
  4. quirk
  5. mannerism
  6. peculiarity
  7. eccentricity
  8. habit
Noun
  • Even at the album’s more sedate tempos, gyrofield still delivers the manic intensity that marks their best work, building luscious tension with an arsenal of top-shelf production tricks.
    — Lisle Younger, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Trader Joe’s focaccia, sliced and toasted, will do the trick, or their ciabatta, sliced into small squares.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Another reveals a family trait or behavior that was unwittingly passed from generation to generation.
    — Gary Barron, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Claude is destined to imitate these human traits and mirror the human examples provided to it, including acting like a colleague or friend.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of trait
Noun
  • Designed by Atelier Invictus and designer Fabio Rotella, the 55-footer introduces a fresh aesthetic but retains all the defining characteristics of the ST550 that debuted at Cannes in 2025.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Supporters said racial profiling is already prohibited and that legal status is determined using standard identification and verification procedures, not subjective characteristics such as the color of someone's skin.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Noun
  • And also like the fat bears of Katmai, every bear here has their own habits and quirks.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The majority have no chance of making it into the 120-seat Parliament — but a quirk of the Israeli election system ensures that even the most obscure contenders get their moment in the political limelight.
    — Lia Lapidot Aaron Boxerman and Lia Lapidot, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of quirk
Noun
  • Blomstedt was impressed with Bernstein's musicianship but disliked his exuberant podium mannerisms.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The system was trained for over a thousand hours on roughly six thousand images and frames of film and other media in order to replicate Dalí’s facial expressions, body movements, speech patterns, and mannerisms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mannerism
Noun
  • They are retained here as if to underscore the messy peculiarity of the world left behind.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Due to peculiarities of history and tax law, a special district to fund a major project, like a baseball stadium, could be more powerful in West Sacramento than in other cities.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of peculiarity
Noun
  • Many mathematical geniuses have been as celebrated for their eccentricity as for their work.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Content creators have angled to become the food critics of the short-form video era, each with their own schtick or eccentricities.
    — Mia Sato, The Verge, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of eccentricity
Noun
  • Experts share the habits and triggers to avoid, plus the remedies that could help alleviate a persistent hack following a respiratory infection.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Deer also commonly abandon typical daytime habits and begin moving about in search of a mate, DEEP said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of habit

Browse Nearby Words

idiosyncrasies
idiosyncrasy
idiosyncratic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idiosyncrasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiosyncrasy. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All