Definition of weirdnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word weird distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words eerie and uncanny are common synonyms of weird. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

When would eerie be a good substitute for weird?

While in some cases nearly identical to weird, eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When might uncanny be a better fit than weird?

The meanings of uncanny and weird largely overlap; however, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

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 weird Arturia is adding to its Freak line of proudly weird digital synths with the MiniFreak 49. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026 Nothing about Capra is weirder, to be honest, than the way in which, from one film of his to the next, suicide tugs at our sleeve. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The grey alien was a must-have, especially given the UFO floating atop this display piece, but the one-off monster of the week, Flukeman, felt like a weird choice. — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026 That sentence would have sounded like insanity a few decades ago, but in the strange world of Hollywood in the 2020s, weirder might really be better. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weird
Adjective
  • But at the center of this story is a man named Michael Organ who turns out to be a bizarre, seemingly dangerous conman.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Aside from spreading fear and anxiety through the agricultural labor force — which might be the point, if the hope is many will self-deport — the surge is having some other bizarre and probably unintended consequences.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Graveyards, which would seem haunted by definition, are popular destinations, and a few in the state are legendary for their eerie atmospheres and ghost sightings.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
  • See 15 inflatables and eight animatronics lining the lawn, creating a scene that’s both eerie and whimsical to delights neighbors.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But these magical, convention-defying places are also one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While the name sounds dramatic, Goble said there is nothing magical about crossing that temperature threshold.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While his neighbors weren’t alarmed enough by the unusual sight to call security, Abrams wasn’t as lucky during filming at Radford Studios in Studio City.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • That sentence would have sounded like insanity a few decades ago, but in the strange world of Hollywood in the 2020s, weirder might really be better.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Fielder is a refreshingly candid guide through this strange land.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The film’s musical score, by Damon Albarn of Blur, has a haunting Bowie-like party-on-the-abyss shimmer.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Speculating on how a magic trick was done that stumped me in a bar 17 years ago.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The latest 104-qubit simulation, however, accounts for realistic hardware noise, allowing researchers to examine how errors affect magic state cultivation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • As the country hurtles toward a pivotal but divisive election, Netflix has done us all a favor by dropping four documentaries about really funny people this month.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • New York is getting roasted for an awkward giveaway T-shirt gaffe, made funnier by the team proudly posting the evidence on social media.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Weird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weird. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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