STRANGE Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric , erratic , odd , outlandish , peculiar , quaint , singular , and unique . While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. // a journey filled with strange sights

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

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, 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 'strange'?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. // a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'odd' take the place of 'strange'?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. // an odd sense of humor

Q: When is it sensible to use 'outlandish' instead of 'strange'?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange , outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. // outlandish fashions of the time

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

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. // the peculiar status of America's first lady

Q: When is 'quaint' a more appropriate choice than 'strange'?

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

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

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. // a singular feeling of impending disaster

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

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. // a career unique in the annals of science

strange

adjective

ˈstrānj

Definition of strange

as in bizarre

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion the strange smell we'd noticed turned out, unhappily, to be from the dinner our host was making

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exotic

excitingly or mysteriously unusual strange fruits from faraway lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unfamiliar

not known or experienced before using public transportation was all very strange to a rural girl like her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unusual

noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a rather strange story about a garden filled with poisonous plants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word strange distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might eccentric be a better fit than strange?

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, 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 strange?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

In what contexts can odd take the place of strange?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When is it sensible to use outlandish instead of strange?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When would peculiar be a good substitute for strange?

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When is quaint a more appropriate choice than strange?

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

a quaint fishing village

Where would singular be a reasonable alternative to strange?

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When can unique be used instead of strange?

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 strange Plus, nobody wants to wake up to a stranger climbing over them. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2026 On the surface, that’s a little strange, because the Sixpack isn’t the one that needs help. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 29 Oct. 2026 An unexplained light show over France And how better to kick off our Halloween skywatching tales than with a retelling of the strange event that terrified my entire family during a trip to France, two decades ago. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026 The constraint of the task encourages a deeper looking, and gives us, part of a society suspicious of aimless activity, an excuse to mess around and explore a strange world. — Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strange

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strange

Adjective

The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bizarre

Adjective

The researchers also explored more exotic scenarios involving additional spatial dimensions and theories that extend beyond Einstein’s general relativity.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
But Fleming's 007, and the onscreen Bonds who played out those stories, dispatched danger in exotic locales, and without rumpling the pleats on their dinner jackets.

— Scott Simon, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of exotic

Adjective

When a manageable investment can bring a decent return, producers can risk something unfamiliar, and audiences can afford to try it.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Shimizu notes that everyone carries a different idea of what cinema is, and that films made with a theater in mind are becoming unfamiliar to many.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfamiliar

Adjective

On the fall 2026 runways, romantic clothes arrived styled like everything else in your closet—a lace skirt with a cotton shirt, a gown with a combat boot, a ruffled collar over plain velvet trousers—and the shift is visible on the street too.

— Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
With a softly rounded outline and romantic facets, the cut evokes the era of craftsmanship that determined a diamond’s brilliance.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of romantic

Adjective

Chef Williams Saurina adds his own touches, with novel spins on ceviche, zesty salsas flecked with pumpkin seeds, and aromatic Tikin Xic (sea bass with recado rojo, made from local achiote, wrapped in totomoxtle leaf).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Making collaboration count That same logic is also driving interest in sourcing pools—by no means a novel concept but one that has been discussed more in the abstract than put into practice.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of novel

Adjective

Prescription treatments are also uncommon, given to fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents who have commercial insurance, according to another study.

— Bram Sable-Smith, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
To be clear, praying for political leaders is hardly novel or uncommon, and the bishops who prayed for blessings could just as easily have been doing so for any supplicant.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncommon

Browse Nearby Words

strands

strange

strangely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strange. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of strange

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Pyrrhic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes