weird

adjective

ˈwird How to pronounce weird (audio)
Definition of weirdnext
1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion always has a somewhat weird opinion of what's happening in the news

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic weird sounds from the woods just beyond our campsite

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3
as in magical
having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers a self-styled, contemporary witch, she sells herbal mixtures that she claims are weird potions

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4
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a weird little plant that we found growing in the garden

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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 Each year vendors introduce new (and often weird) menu items that sometimes pop up at other state fairs across the country. — Bianca Harris, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 That’s where things get weird, and the math of the universe starts to contradict itself. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 So the Guest 2 is literally embedded in Onslaught in both a literal and a weird technical way too. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Instead, Elizabeth wants her work to be a welcome mat into her weird, fantastical world where others can find people just like them. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weird
  1. bizarre
  2. eerie
  3. magical
  4. unusual
  5. strange
  6. haunting
  7. magic
  8. funny
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
Adjective
  • Fog has an eerie and enchanting way of coloring how humans perceive our surroundings—and scientists are discovering that the atmospheric phenomenon may remake microbes’ experience of their environment, too.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The actress recalled the eerie deaths and accidents that happened during the shoot of the film, including a fire that ravaged a great part of the set and one of the crew members who lost their newborn child.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of eerie
Adjective
  • Here, Agapi explains why autumn is so magical in the Greek capital, and lets us in on some of her favorite places to visit at this time of year.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The ordeal forces Sally to admit the existence of their magical powers.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of magical
Adjective
  • If a machine encounters something unusual or gets stuck, someone monitoring the fleet can briefly intervene until the autonomous system is ready to take back over.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The changes occurred amid an unusual rollout of the blog post.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • In a strange quirk of the 2026-27 fixture list, Leeds have been sent to the scenes of those crimes in quick succession once again.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In short, unruly crowds, strange smells, intrusive noise and late nights are not unique inventions of the TikTok era.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • The comment takes on a haunting resonance three months later, after Panettiere was found unresponsive on a Sunday.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a haunting portrait of social collapse whose power is premised on the words and faces of survivors.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of haunting
Adjective
  • Now up five games in the NL East, and having trimmed the magic number to clinch the division to 15, the Braves (85-58) were four outs away from a second straight loss to their division rival.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers have completely switched off superconductivity in magic-angle graphene by weakening interactions between electrons, providing strong evidence that those interactions are central to the unusual phenomenon.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of magic
Adjective
  • Occasionally, this appeared to be in jest (although not actually very funny).
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Mulligan should win for her darkly funny, cringe-inducing turn, though Snook, Pidgeon and sentimental favorite Field are all in play too.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny

Phrases Containing weird

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weird
weirded out
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Cite this Entry

“Weird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weird. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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