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 The bitters combine with the hogo to create an entirely new drink, one that’s deeper and richer and honestly weirder, a drink that’s still sunshine-caliber refreshing but whose soul spends half the year in the underworld. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026 There's physical comedy for the little kids and weird existential jokes for everyone else. Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 6 June 2026 Where things get even weirder is in Seagal’s conception of his character as an ass-kicking Buddhist. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 5 June 2026 And that seems, to me, to be a weird way that the media, like political media, is changing very explicitly. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for weird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weird
Adjective
  • Then, to make the situation more bizarre, Arnaldi and Cobolli held a press conference together in the same room despite the former being sick and the latter being two days away from playing in a Grand Slam final.
    Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 7 June 2026
  • The astronauts reported bizarre smells, and had issues flushing urine outside the spacecraft as designed.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Adjective
  • When an Arietid streaks across the daytime sky, the ionized trail will bounce distant signals right into the antenna, resulting in an eerie short burst of music or voice breaking through the static.
    Jules-Pierre Malartre, Space.com, 8 June 2026
  • Premiering at the 2016 SXSW festival, this true crime documentary highlights the disturbing attack on Payton Leutner by her 12-year-old friends, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, who slashed her 19 times in a bizarre attempt to appease the fictional, eerie internet figure known as Slender Man.
    James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • But might Haaland or the ageless Messi go on a magical run?
    Greg Cote June 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
  • On a blind date, his descriptions of magical griffins and burning deserts sound humiliatingly immature.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • Since arriving at the zoo, the buffalo has attracted large crowds and sparked debate over its unusual nickname.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
  • What’s unusual is to see these elements presented so grandly on a stage as big as The Bushnell’s and presented in a manner that doesn’t compromise a dark tale of anger, revenge, dangerous romance, desperation and survival.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • The author could herself be considered predatorial, having written her own children in as the books’ protagonists, saddling them with a strange kind of fame.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
  • This strange occurrence echoes what happened at the top of the dot-com bubble 26 years ago.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • Another episode, directed by Andrew DeYoung, sees Tom accidentally ingest potent hallucinogenic mushrooms, with Rhys nailing absurdist humor and a haunting flashback.
    Emma Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • The work was haunting, elegant, and emotionally precise.
    Thomas Rom, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Bring some of summer’s magic indoors with this floral quilt from Laura Ashley.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
  • The ants use a magic potion to shrink him down, forcing him to live—and survive—as one of them.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 June 2026
Adjective
  • Some of these flourishes are jarringly funny, others merely stop the film momentarily in its tracks.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 June 2026
  • People being all excited to be in an alliance that doesn't actually exist shouldn't be funny.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Weird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weird. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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