oddball

noun

odd·​ball ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
Synonyms of oddballnext
: one that is eccentric
oddball adjective

Synonyms of oddball

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Examples of oddball in a Sentence

He used to be a real oddball back in high school. she's known as the office oddball
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Then there are oddballs – traction control – pretty rare in this class, alongside ABS, and a belt drive. — New Atlas, 11 May 2026 Seventeen-year-old Claudine is furious to be moving to Paris on the whim of her oddball father. — Literary Hub, 15 June 2026 But the sound of the music itself — delicate, precise, a little eerie — was also a sign that Hollywood did nothing to smooth out the quirks of one of pop’s most lovable oddballs. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 Many audiences may recognize him best as the shirtless, nunchuck-wielding oddball in the coming-of-age classic Ghost World (2001). — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oddball was in 1948

Rhymes for oddball

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Browse Nearby Words

ODD
oddball
odd-come-short
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Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddball. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

oddball

noun
odd·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
: a person who behaves strangely

More from Merriam-Webster on oddball

Nglish: Translation of oddball for Spanish Speakers

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