ODDBALL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl

Definition of oddball

as in eccentric

a person of odd or whimsical habits she's known as the office oddball

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

oddball

2 of 2

adjective

as in bizarre

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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 oddball

Noun

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 Seventeen-year-old Claudine is furious to be moving to Paris on the whim of her oddball father. — Literary Hub, 15 June 2026

Adjective

That’s why many of the insurance companies keep adding to their roster of oddball personalities. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 July 2026 The man singing with Bridgers was, in fact, Dan Reeder, an oddball folk singer-songwriter, longtime visual artist, and instrument maker who’s developed a cult following for his beautifully simple songs about butterflies and beachballs and brains. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball

Noun

With its loose ends and digressions, Dream Me a Dream stays true to those idiosyncratic instincts while retaining enough of the welcoming glow of Dance of Love to make this an affecting farewell from an endearing eccentric.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
The eccentric cuz is quick to try and help Bobby solve problems, which often gets him into trouble, but ultimately pushes him out of his shell.

— Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026

Definition of eccentric

Adjective

The bizarre Democratic resistance to voter ID requirements also runs counter to common sense.

— Editorial, Boston Herald, 27 July 2026
The Brit landed a solid one-two early and from there Prenga never re-found his feet, allowing Joshua to land a huge right hand that sent Prenga to the canvas and brought an early end to a bizarre see-saw fight.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Definition of bizarre

Noun

None of the characters has a convincing motivation for their actions or words.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 30 July 2026
Nolan has cited Wilson's translation in discussing his approach to the film, but Wilson says she was disappointed with the adaptation — and especially by Nolan's rendering of the central character.

— Dave Davies, NPR, 29 July 2026

Definition of character

Noun

While nothing compares to the Hartford Whalers threads, the early-aughts uniforms improved on the original from 1997-98 with black outlining on the nameplate letters.

— The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Being able to rebuild it, remake it, and stay true to the original was incredibly important to all of us.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 30 July 2026

Definition of original

Adjective

The actor debuted a promotional photo shoot in support of his new movie Digger that gives a closer look at his kooky oil tycoon character from Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s upcoming satire.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
The film premieres in theaters on June 26, and the story follows a couple (Wilde and Rogen) who invite their slightly kooky, yet very endearing neighbors (Cruz and Norton) over for a dinner that quickly dissolves into chaos.

— Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 25 June 2026

Definition of kooky

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“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddball. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of oddball

noun

adjective

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