STRANGE Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'strange' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric , erratic , odd , outlandish , peculiar , quaint , singular , and unique . While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. // a journey filled with strange sights

Q: When might 'eccentric' be a better fit than 'strange'?

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. // the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

Q: When could 'erratic' be used to replace 'strange'?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. // a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'odd' take the place of 'strange'?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. // an odd sense of humor

Q: When is it sensible to use 'outlandish' instead of 'strange'?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange , outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. // outlandish fashions of the time

Q: When would 'peculiar' be a good substitute for 'strange'?

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. // the peculiar status of America's first lady

Q: When is 'quaint' a more appropriate choice than 'strange'?

In some situations, the words quaint and strange are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. // a quaint fishing village

Q: Where would 'singular' be a reasonable alternative to 'strange'?

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. // a singular feeling of impending disaster

Q: When can 'unique' be used instead of 'strange'?

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. // a career unique in the annals of science

strange

adjective

ˈstrānj

Definition of strange

as in bizarre

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion the strange smell we'd noticed turned out, unhappily, to be from the dinner our host was making

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exotic

excitingly or mysteriously unusual strange fruits from faraway lands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unfamiliar

not known or experienced before using public transportation was all very strange to a rural girl like her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unusual

noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a rather strange story about a garden filled with poisonous plants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word strange distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might eccentric be a better fit than strange?

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When could erratic be used to replace strange?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

In what contexts can odd take the place of strange?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When is it sensible to use outlandish instead of strange?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When would peculiar be a good substitute for strange?

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When is quaint a more appropriate choice than strange?

In some situations, the words quaint and strange are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

Where would singular be a reasonable alternative to strange?

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When can unique be used instead of strange?

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

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 strange One clue may be found in a strange quantum state called the pseudogap. — Sven Badoux, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026 Here, the defining aspect of Benjamin Button’s strange existence is love — lucky, steady, unconditional. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 Nina Sosanya voices the local veterinarian, who discovers strange objects inside her animal patients and suspects Bigfoot is on the loose, while Bitzer sets out to find his missing master. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 In the 15th century, making a sculpture that invited you to view a figure, especially a naked one, from front and back was profoundly strange. — Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strange

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strange

Adjective

The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bizarre

Adjective

The researchers also explored more exotic scenarios involving additional spatial dimensions and theories that extend beyond Einstein’s general relativity.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
But Fleming's 007, and the onscreen Bonds who played out those stories, dispatched danger in exotic locales, and without rumpling the pleats on their dinner jackets.

— Scott Simon, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of exotic

Adjective

When a manageable investment can bring a decent return, producers can risk something unfamiliar, and audiences can afford to try it.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Shimizu notes that everyone carries a different idea of what cinema is, and that films made with a theater in mind are becoming unfamiliar to many.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfamiliar

Adjective

And now Great Question will, hopefully CBS News thinks, bring that voice to new places, in a digital expansion that is unusual for an evening news anchor.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
But the book walks the reader through Raichlen’s unusual path to becoming a food writer obsessed with the art of barbecuing.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of unusual

Adjective

By Sean McGowan THURSDAY PUZZLE — Welcome back to Thursday, the day of the week where the crossword gets weirder and the wordplay gets wilder.

— Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Astronomers were left with the troublesome task of pairing up two weird objects, smushing them together and hoping to get Lucifer as a result.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of weird

Adjective

On the fall 2026 runways, romantic clothes arrived styled like everything else in your closet—a lace skirt with a cotton shirt, a gown with a combat boot, a ruffled collar over plain velvet trousers—and the shift is visible on the street too.

— Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
With a softly rounded outline and romantic facets, the cut evokes the era of craftsmanship that determined a diamond’s brilliance.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of romantic

Adjective

In 1938 Hungarian journalist László Bíró, fed up with the constant need to refill fountain pens and deal with their messy ink, patented a novel design.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2026
Yet every experiment brings us closer to a system that can learn about novel changes in its surroundings and make informed choices on what action to take next.

— Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of novel

Adjective

Coalition governments are not uncommon in the state, where politicians are fond of saying that pragmatism trumps partisanship.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Single digits—and even colder conditions, especially at elevation on Jackson Hole Mountain—are not uncommon.

— Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncommon

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strangely

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“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strange. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of strange

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