strange

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstrānj How to pronounce strange (audio)
stranger; strangest
Synonyms of strangenext
1
a
: different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected : odd
a strange sound
a strange person
the cat's strange behavior
b
: not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar
customs that were strange to him
feeling lost in a strange city
2
a
: not entirely comfortable or well : uncomfortable, ill at ease
felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach
I left Lady Glyde … and joined Mrs. Rubelle, with the object of kindly preventing her from feeling strange and nervous in consequence of the uncertainty of her situation.—Wilkie Collins
b
dated : discouraging familiarities : reserved, distant
… why did you break off our confidences and become quite strange to me?—George Bernard Shaw
3
: unaccustomed sense 2
She was strange to his ways.
4
a
: not native to or naturally belonging in a place : of external origin, kind, or character
b
archaic : of, relating to, or characteristic of another country : foreign
strangely adverb

strange

2 of 2

noun

often attributive
: a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of −¹/₃ and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV
also : the flavor characterizing this particle

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for strange

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish 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

singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's First Lady

eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

Examples of strange in a Sentence

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.
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.
Adjective
One day, a student noticed something strange: One of the rats in the group trained to expect positive experiences had its tail straight up with a crook at the end, resembling the handle of an old-fashioned umbrella. —Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 The result was a strange hodgepodge of a TV series — novel and interesting in hindsight, but maybe not distinct enough to inspire a spot on the DVR at the time. —Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 Elkies realized that his K3 surfaces were strange enough to give him access to even more exotic curves. —Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024 Saina begins hearing strange noises and seeing a ghost, losing her grip on reality. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strange 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English straunge, strange, straynge "foreign, unfamiliar, from elsewhere, unusual, aloof," borrowed from Anglo-French estrange, estraunge "outside the family, foreign, unusual, marvelous" (continental Old French estrange), going back to Latin extrāneus "not belonging to one's family or household, coming from abroad, foreign, external," from extrā "outside, beyond the boundaries of" + -āneus, adjective suffix — more at extra-

Note: For more on the suffix -āneus see the etymology and note at spontaneous. The immediate model for extrāneus was perhaps phrasal derivatives (as circumforāneus "connected with the business of the forum, itinerant," mediterrāneus "remote from the coast, inland") that deal with spatial relationships. The counterpart adjective intrāneus is not attested until about the fifth century.

Noun

derivative of strange entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Noun

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strange was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing strange

Dictionary Entries Near strange

strang

strange

strange attractor

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strange. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

strange

adjective
ˈstrānj
stranger; strangest
1
: not native to or naturally belonging in a place
2
a
: not known, heard, or seen before
strange surroundings
b
: causing surprise or wonder because not usual : noticeably unusual
strange clothes
3
: uneasy sense 1
feels strange on the first day of school
strangely adverb
strangeness noun
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English strange "foreign," from early French estrange (same meaning), from Latin extraneus, literally, "external, coming from the outside," from extra "outside" — related to extra-

More from Merriam-Webster on strange

Nglish: Translation of strange for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of strange for Arabic Speakers

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