oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
Definition of oddballnext
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits she's known as the office oddball

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

oddball

2 of 2

adjective

as in bizarre

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Dissimilar Words

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
When Artificial does go wide, audiences may be most surprised to find out that the true lead of Artificial isn’t Garfield’s ambitious Altman but Borisov’s brilliant, sweet oddball Ilya Sutskever. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026 Germany’s leading indie fest has long made a specialty of outsiders and oddballs — artists who arrived without pedigree, training programs or an obvious industry slot and built the career anyway. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Henry Winkler plays the oddball mayor, Lena Headey the town barkeep. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Running through Saturday, the 4th of July Tuna High School Class reunion takes over the third-tiniest town in Texas, bringing oddball humor and small-town satire into the spotlight. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball
  1. eccentric
  2. bizarre
  3. character
  4. unusual
  5. original
  6. kooky
Noun
  • The immature eccentric initially has no plans to head back to the States, until Christy convinces him to stand tall and fight.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Step inside, though, and you’re transported to a bucolic Britain of rolling hills and village greens, bumbling eccentrics and cute, clever farm animals.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • The appeal of Bleak House, for instance, is bound up in its bad actors and bizarre names, less so the action.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The Seaside Police Department received the tip about Bumper’s bizarre breakfast invoice in August.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Noun
  • It was approved by voters into the county charter in 2004 in an effort to preserve the area’s rural character and prevent high-density sprawl from stretching toward the Brevard County line.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • These private, elevated spaces so intrinsic to the character of the property will remain closed to the public while management seeks a practical solution.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • The order of events in the Weeks recusal was somewhat unusual.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Scheels argued this year that the Ada County Assessor’s Office had overvalued its unusual building.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Noun
  • In 2021, the women’s 501 ’90s debuted with a looser, roomier leg and a mid-rise waist, offering a relaxed take on the original that has become a modern classic in its own right.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The test isn’t whether the backup looks exactly like the original.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • The 23 bedrooms are in the kooky main building and two shepherd’s huts (some have claw-foot baths).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While Boyle’s Bankman-Fried seems a little more grounded than his real-life counterpart, Garner’s high-wire swing as Ellison is mesmerizing — her kookiest turn yet in a career of big swings.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of kooky

Browse Nearby Words

odd
oddball
oddballs
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Cite this Entry

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

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