PECULIAR Synonyms: 197 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of peculiar are eccentric , erratic , odd , outlandish , quaint , singular , strange , and unique . While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. // the peculiar status of America's first lady

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

While in some cases nearly identical to peculiar , eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. // the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

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

The words erratic and peculiar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. // a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

Q: When is 'odd' a more appropriate choice than 'peculiar'?

The synonyms odd and peculiar are sometimes interchangeable, but odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. // an odd sense of humor

Q: When would 'outlandish' be a good substitute for 'peculiar'?

The meanings of outlandish and peculiar largely overlap; however, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. // outlandish fashions of the time

Q: When is it sensible to use 'quaint' instead of 'peculiar'?

Although the words quaint and peculiar have much in common, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. // a quaint fishing village

Q: Where would 'singular' be a reasonable alternative to 'peculiar'?

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

Q: When can 'strange' be used instead of 'peculiar'?

In some situations, the words strange and peculiar are roughly equivalent. However, 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 'peculiar'?

While the synonyms unique and peculiar are close in meaning, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. // a career unique in the annals of science

peculiar

adjective

pi-ˈkyül-yər

Definition of peculiar

as in unusual

being out of the ordinary a writer with a peculiar talent for capturing the feel of everyday conversation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strange

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion a peculiar and catlike way of walking

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as in uncommon

noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a peculiar response to a polite query about his health

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as in personal

of, relating to, or belonging to a single person his peculiar way of talking

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as in characteristic

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the koala is peculiar to Australia

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as in specific

of a particular or exact sort a matter of peculiar interest to us

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word peculiar distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of peculiar are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

In what contexts can eccentric take the place of peculiar?

While in some cases nearly identical to peculiar, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When could erratic be used to replace peculiar?

The words erratic and peculiar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When is odd a more appropriate choice than peculiar?

The synonyms odd and peculiar are sometimes interchangeable, but odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When would outlandish be a good substitute for peculiar?

The meanings of outlandish and peculiar largely overlap; however, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When is it sensible to use quaint instead of peculiar?

Although the words quaint and peculiar have much in common, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

Where would singular be a reasonable alternative to peculiar?

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

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When can strange be used instead of peculiar?

In some situations, the words strange and peculiar are roughly equivalent. However, 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 peculiar?

While the synonyms unique and peculiar are close in meaning, 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 peculiar And viewers’ mileage will certainly vary with this peculiar, fun little concoction on seclusion, connection and the need to belong that can’t hide its undercurrent of melancholy about the sorry state of a divided world. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026 Nothing if not original, Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard casts Kate and Rooney Mara as Irish sisters who speak, think and move in unison, an impressive feat of disciplined acting that exerts its own peculiar fascination. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 With each increasingly manic and outlandish installment, the franchise carved out its own peculiar place in Hollywood history. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Making matters worse, the Optiq inherits the Equinox EV’s peculiar charging behavior, which limits you to 150 kW at a Level 3 DC fast charger, compared to the 250 kW or so that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 achieves. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for peculiar

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peculiar

Adjective

The move is unusual due to the more than six-month-long conflict between Iran and the United States and no sign that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran's nuclear program are close.

— September 18, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
The team also needed to confirm that the unusual structures were genuine electron behavior rather than artifacts created by the microscope.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of unusual

Adjective

In a small town, several dead people are brought back to life through a strange ritual involving burning duck manure.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Back outside, the strangest part of the scene might have been how normal everything seemed to the people wearing crimson and blue.

— Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of strange

Adjective

Alas, poor Bryan is about to learn the hard way that change — as the saying goes — is as hard to outrun as an ever-growing zombie rat king with 37 different limbs and a weirdly personal vendetta.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
In 1981, Soviet spy Vladimir Kuzichkin offered up critical insider information on Iran’s Tudeh Party to Britain’s MI6 in exchange for discreet assistance with a personal affliction that was at the heart of his marital troubles.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of personal

Adjective

Since industrial logging began more than a century ago, most of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests — those capable of growing the large trees characteristic of the island’s rainforests — have been cut.

— Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Different chemical elements absorb and emit different wavelengths of light, marking that spectrum with different characteristic fingerprints.

— Rahul Rao, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Adjective

His point is that although LLMs, no less than chess engines and other specialist systems, are trained on a specific task—namely, predicting the next word in a text passage—that task is special.

— George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Guests with specific mobility requirements should contact the hotel directly before booking.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of specific

Adjective

The Tigers repeatedly found explosive gains through the air, some created not by an extraordinary throw but by a defensive breakdown.

— Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
The adventure experts at EYOS Expeditions have curated a new journey that combines a deep-water expedition with all the extraordinary wonders of Alaska’s wilderness.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of extraordinary

Adjective

The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
An exhausting, head-spinning and often downright silly offseason is officially over after college football really kicked off on Thursday (after the always bizarre Week 0 last weekend).

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of bizarre

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“Peculiar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peculiar. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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