Adjective
Does his behavior seem strange to you?
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
That is one of the strangest creatures I have ever seen.
He gave me a strange look.
Strange as it may seem, I don’t like walking barefoot on the grass.
It’s strange that nobody told me about this before.
That’s strange. He was here a minute ago.
The strange thing is that nobody saw him enter or leave the building.
Children are taught not to talk to strange people.
The language was strange to me.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Berlusconi benefitted from a strange feature of the Italian criminal justice system, in which the criminal trial is followed by two automatic appeals, often drawing out cases over many years.
—
Alexander Stille, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
That would be ghastly enough, but this case is far stranger than a story about people allegedly going to extreme ends to arrange and finance a new relationship together.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2023
At a young age, Jollett discovered the music of the Cure, the willfully strange and morose New Wave band.
—James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2023
Starring Taron Egerton, the AppleTV+ original movie Tetris is based on the true story of the game’s origins in Soviet Russia, and the stranger-than-fiction chain of events which led to its worldwide domination.
—Philip Ellis, Men’s Health, 31 Mar. 2023
Many of them now live their lives with a strange internet notoriety, the kind that didn’t exist even just a few years ago.
—Ben Collins, NBC News, 31 Mar. 2023
As the stress of the power imbalance weighs on her, Aisha begins having strange dreams of drowning, worsened by her fears of abandoning her own child.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2023
Still, Riesman never quite pins down the case that our current cultural distortion is McMahon’s progeny, rather than a strange parallel symptomatic of some common social corrosion.
—Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2023
This might feel strange.
—Devin Gordon, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘strange.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
strange
(strānj)
adj. strang·er, strang·est
1.
a. Not previously known; unfamiliar: saw lots of strange faces at the reception; heard music that was strange to me.
b. Not of one’s own or a particular locality, environment, or kind; not native: came across a flower that was strange to the region.
2. Out of the ordinary or difficult to account for; unusual or peculiar: Events took a strange twist last week.
3.
a. Reserved in manner; distant or cool: The once affable man slowly became strange to his friends.
b. Not comfortable or at ease: I felt strange and out of place at the party because I didn’t know any of the guests.
4. Not accustomed or conditioned: She was strange to her new duties.
5. Physics Of, relating to, or exhibiting strangeness.
adv.
In a strange manner: He’s been acting strange lately.
[Middle English, from Old French estrange, extraordinary, foreign, from Latin extrāneus, adventitious, foreign, from extrā, outside, from feminine ablative of exter, outward; see eghs in Indo-European roots.]
strange′ly adv.
Synonyms: strange, odd, peculiar, eccentric, outlandish
These adjectives describe what deviates from the usual or customary. Strange refers especially to what is unfamiliar, unknown, or inexplicable: It was strange to see so many people out walking around at night. Something that is odd fails to accord with what is ordinary, usual, or expected and suggests strangeness: «There was certainly something odd about the stars: perhaps there was more color in them, for they glittered like tiny gems» (Neil Gaiman).
Similarly, peculiar describes what is odd or unusual, but often with an emphasis on distinctness or individuality: She has a peculiar kind of handwriting that is at once pleasant to look at but hard to read. Eccentric refers particularly to what is strange and departs strikingly from the conventional: His musical compositions were innovative but eccentric. Outlandish suggests alien or bizarre strangeness: The partygoers wore outlandish costumes. See Also Synonyms at foreign.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
strange
(streɪndʒ)
adj
1. odd, unusual, or extraordinary in appearance, effect, manner, etc; peculiar
2. not known, seen, or experienced before; unfamiliar: a strange land.
3. not easily explained: a strange phenomenon.
4. (usually foll by to) inexperienced (in) or unaccustomed (to): strange to a task.
5. not of one’s own kind, locality, etc; alien; foreign
6. shy; distant; reserved
7. strange to say it is unusual or surprising that
8. (General Physics) physics
a. denoting a particular flavour of quark
b. denoting or relating to a hypothetical form of matter composed of such quarks: strange matter; a strange star.
adv
not standard in a strange manner
[C13: from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see extraneous]
ˈstrangely adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
strange
(streɪndʒ)
adj. strang•er, strang•est,
adv. adj.
1. exciting curiosity or wonder; odd: a strange remark to make.
2. estranged; alienated: felt strange in the foreign city.
3. being outside of one’s experience; unfamiliar; foreign: moving to a strange place.
4. unaccustomed; inexperienced: I’m strange to his ways.
5. reserved; aloof.
adv.
6. in a strange manner.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French estrange < Latin extrāneus; see extraneous]
strange′ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
strange
– unusual
1. ‘strange’
You use strange to say that something is unfamiliar or unexpected in a way that makes you puzzled, uneasy, or afraid.
The strange thing was that she didn’t remember anything about the evening.
It was strange to hear her voice again.
2. ‘unusual’
If you just want to say that something is not common, you use unusual, not ‘strange’.
He had an unusual name.
It is unusual for such a small hotel to have a restaurant.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adj. | 1. |  strange — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird; «a strange exaltation that was indefinable»; «a strange fantastical mind»; «what a strange sense of humor she has»
familiar — within normal everyday experience; common and ordinary; not strange; «familiar ordinary objects found in every home»; «a familiar everyday scene»; «a familiar excuse»; «a day like any other filled with familiar duties and experiences» |
| 2. | strange — not known before; «used many strange words»; «saw many strange faces in the crowd»; «don’t let anyone unknown into the house»
unfamiliar — not known or well known; «a name unfamiliar to most»; «be alert at night especially in unfamiliar surroundings» |
|
| 3. | strange — relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world; «foreign nations»; «a foreign accent»; «on business in a foreign city» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
strange
adjective
1. odd, unusual, curious, weird, wonderful, rare, funny, extraordinary, remarkable, bizarre, fantastic, astonishing, marvellous, exceptional, peculiar, eccentric, abnormal, out-of-the-way, queer, irregular, rum (Brit. slang), uncommon, singular, perplexing, uncanny, mystifying, unheard-of, off-the-wall (slang), oddball (informal), unaccountable, left-field (informal), outré, curiouser and curiouser, out there (slang) There was something strange about the flickering blue light.
odd usual, ordinary, common, standard, regular, familiar, typical, conventional, routine, well-known, accustomed, commonplace, habitual, run-of-the-mill, unexceptional, bog-standard (Brit. & Irish slang)
2. out of place, lost, uncomfortable, awkward, bewildered, disoriented, ill at ease, like a fish out of water I felt strange in his office, realizing how absurd it was.
out of place at home, relaxed, comfortable, at ease
3. unfamiliar, new, unknown, foreign, novel, alien, exotic, untried, unexplored, outside your experience I ended up alone in a strange city.
unfamiliar familiar, accustomed, habitual
4. unwell, ill, sick, poorly (informal), funny (informal), crook (Austral. & N.Z. informal), ailing, queer, queasy, out of sorts (informal), dicky (Brit. informal), off-colour, under the weather (informal), indisposed, green about the gills, not up to snuff (informal) I felt all dizzy and strange.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
strange
adjective
1. Deviating from the customary:
bizarre, cranky, curious, eccentric, erratic, freakish, idiosyncratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, queer, quirky, singular, unnatural, unusual, weird.
2. Causing puzzlement; perplexing:
3. Of, from, or characteristic of another place or part of the world:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
странен
podivnýcizídivnýzvláštní
mærkeligfremmed
stranga
kummallinenoutotuntematonvierasihmeellinen
čudančudnovatneobičanstran
furcsaidegenismeretlenkülönös
aneh
ókunnugur, framandiundarlegur, skrÿtinn
奇妙な
이상한
kad ir kaip keistanepažįstamasisnevietinis žmogus
dīvainsnepazīstamssavādssvešs
ciudatneobişnuitstraniu
čudennenavadenneznan
konstigunderligfrämmande
แปลก
kỳ lạ
strange
[streɪndʒ] ADJ (stranger (compar) (strangest (superl)))
1. (= odd) [person, event, behaviour, feeling] → extraño, raro; [experience, place, noise] → extraño; [coincidence, story] → extraño, curioso
it is strange that → es extraño or raro que + subjun
it’s strange that he should come today of all days → es extraño or raro que venga precisamente hoy
there’s something strange about him → hay algo extraño or raro en él
what’s so strange about that? → ¿qué tiene eso de extraño or raro?
I felt rather strange at first → al principio me sentía bastante raro
I find her attitude rather strange → encuentro su actitud un tanto extraña or rara
I find it strange that we never heard anything about this → me parece raro or me extraña que nunca hayamos oído hablar de esto
how strange! → ¡qué raro!, ¡qué extraño!
for some strange reason → por alguna razón inexplicable
strange as it may seem, strange to say → por extraño que parezca → aunque parezca mentira
the strange thing is that he didn’t even know us → lo extraño or lo curioso es que ni nos conocía
children come out with the strangest things → a los niños se les ocurren las cosas más extrañas
the family would think it strange if we didn’t go → la familia se extrañaría si no fuésemos
see also bedfellow, truth
2. (= unknown, unfamiliar) [person, house, car, country] → desconocido; [language] → desconocido, extranjero
I never sleep well in a strange bed → nunca duermo bien en una cama que no sea la mía
don’t talk to any strange men → no hables con ningún desconocido
I was strange to this part of town → esta parte de la ciudad me era desconocida
this man I loved was suddenly strange to me → este hombre al que amaba era de pronto un desconocido para mí or un extraño
STRANGE, RARE
Position of «raro»
You should generally put raro after the noun when you mean strange or odd and before the noun when you mean rare: He has a strange name Tiene un nombre raro …a rare congenital syndrome… … un raro síndrome congénito…
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
strange
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
strange
(streindʒ) adjective
1. not known, seen etc before; unfamiliar or foreign. What would you do if you found a strange man in your house?; Whenever you’re in a strange country, you should take the opportunity of learning the language.
2. unusual, odd or queer. She had a strange look on her face; a strange noise.
ˈstrangely adverbˈstrangeness nounˈstranger noun
1. a person who is unknown to oneself. I’ve met her once before, so she’s not a complete stranger (to me).
2. a visitor. I can’t tell you where the post office is – I’m a stranger here myself.
strange to say/tell/relate
surprisingly. Strange to say, he did pass his exam after all.
strangely enough
it is strange (that). He lives next door, but strangely enough I rarely see him.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
strange
→ غَرِيب podivný mærkelig seltsam αλλόκοτος extraño kummallinen étrange čudan strano 奇妙な 이상한 vreemd fremmed dziwny estranho незнакомый konstig แปลก garip kỳ lạ 奇怪的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
strange
a. extraño-a, raro-a; extranjero-a; no relacionado-a con un organismo o situado-a fuera del mismo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
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adjective, strang·er, strang·est.
unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd; queer: a strange remark to make.
estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one’s natural environment: I felt strange as I walked through the crowded marketplace.
situated, belonging, or coming from outside of one’s own locality; foreign: to move to a strange place; strange religions.
outside of one’s previous experience; hitherto unknown; unfamiliar: strange faces; strange customs.
unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unacquainted (usually followed by to): I’m strange to this part of the job.
distant or reserved; shy.
adverb
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Origin of strange
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus;see extraneous
synonym study for strange
1. Strange, peculiar, odd, queer refer to that which is out of the ordinary. Strange implies that the thing or its cause is unknown or unexplained; it is unfamiliar and unusual: a strange expression. That which is peculiar mystifies, or exhibits qualities not shared by others: peculiar behavior. That which is odd is irregular or unconventional, and sometimes approaches the bizarre: an odd custom. Queer sometimes adds to odd the suggestion of something abnormal and eccentric: queer in the head.
OTHER WORDS FROM strange
strangely, adverbun·strange, adjectiveun·strange·ly, adverbun·strange·ness, noun
Words nearby strange
strand, stranded, strand line, Strandloper, strand wolf, strange, strange attractor, strange bedfellows, Strange Interlude, strange loop, strange matter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to strange
astonishing, bizarre, curious, different, extraordinary, fantastic, funny, new, odd, offbeat, outlandish, peculiar, rare, remarkable, unusual, weird, wonderful, alien, awkward, romantic
How to use strange in a sentence
-
Even in the spring, says Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Sciences-Shreveport and another senior author, it was clear that something was strange about Louisiana’s outbreak.
-
While that might sound a little strange, if your heated throw has a plug and runs on electricity—well, that’s an appliance.
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This rebuttal proffers a strange theory of governance that American accounts are somehow bound by the lifetime of its generations.
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After months of eating alone, it sounded strange to my ears.
-
It’s no longer strange to see Tom Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform.
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In front of this strange structure are two blank-faced, well-dressed models showing off the latest in European minimalism.
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It was a bit strange for a while here with all the Newsweek stuff.
-
The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution.
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In another year, stories about the strange new face of an A-list actress might draw chortles and cackles.
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Like, OK, to be around them when we were away from work is great, but being at work was still kind of strange for me.
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It seems very strange that I shall actually know Liszt at last, after hearing of him so many years.
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He did believe you, more or less, and what you said fell in with his own impressions—strange impressions that they were, poor man!
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The associations of place recall her strange interview with Mr. Longcluse but a few months before.
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Almost as soon as she had finished building her nest she had discovered a strange-looking egg there.
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Her feet felt rooted to the floor in the wonder and doubt of this strange occurrence.
British Dictionary definitions for strange
adjective
odd, unusual, or extraordinary in appearance, effect, manner, etc; peculiar
not known, seen, or experienced before; unfamiliara strange land
not easily explaineda strange phenomenon
(usually foll by to) inexperienced (in) or unaccustomed (to)strange to a task
not of one’s own kind, locality, etc; alien; foreign
shy; distant; reserved
strange to say it is unusual or surprising that
physics
- denoting a particular flavour of quark
- denoting or relating to a hypothetical form of matter composed of such quarksstrange matter; a strange star
adverb
not standard in a strange manner
Derived forms of strange
strangely, adverb
Word Origin for strange
C13: from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see extraneous
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other forms: strangest
Anything that is unusual or out of the ordinary can be described as strange, like the strange sight of an ice cream truck pulling up in front of your school and your principal skipping over to it.
The adjective strange comes from Latin word extraneus, meaning “foreign” or “external.” If someone approaches you speaking with a strange accent, it means you can’t identify where the person is from, not that he or she is odd or weird — the newer meaning of strange. But remember, it once was a strange sight to see a person talking on a cell phone; when the unknown becomes known, it is no longer strange.
Definitions of strange
-
adjective
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
“a
strange exaltation that was indefinable”“a
strange fantastical mind”“what a
strange sense of humor she has”-
synonyms:
unusual
-
antic, fantastic, fantastical, grotesque
ludicrously odd
-
crazy
bizarre or fantastic
-
curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
-
eerie, eery, spooky
inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening
-
exotic
strikingly strange or unusual
-
freaky
strange and somewhat frightening
-
gothic
characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque
-
oddish
somewhat strange
-
other
very unusual; different in character or quality from the normal or expected
-
quaint
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
-
quaint
very strange or unusual; odd or even incongruous in character or appearance
-
weird
strikingly odd or unusual
-
antic, fantastic, fantastical, grotesque
-
adjective
not known before
“used many
strange words”“saw many
strange faces in the crowd”-
synonyms:
unknown
-
unfamiliar
not known or well known
-
unfamiliar
-
adjective
relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world
-
synonyms:
foreign
-
adventive
not native and not fully established; locally or temporarily naturalized
-
alien, exotic
being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world
-
nonnative
of plants or animals originating in a part of the world other than where they are growing
-
established, naturalized
introduced from another region and persisting without cultivation
-
foreign-born, nonnative
of persons born in another area or country than that lived in
-
imported
used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source
-
tramontane
being or coming from another country
-
unnaturalised, unnaturalized
not having acquired citizenship
-
adventive
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WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 strange /streɪndʒ/USA pronunciation
adv.
strange•ly, adv.: The machine is acting strangely. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 strange
adv.
strange′ly, adv.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: strange /streɪndʒ/ adj
adv
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see extraneous ˈstrangely adv ‘strange‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): |
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