outré
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of outré
First recorded in 1715–25; from French, past participle of outrer “to push beyond bounds” ( see outrage)
Explanation
Outre things are eccentric or shockingly strange. Your outre outfit might be fine to wear to a Halloween party but less appropriate for a job interview. The adjective outre is often spelled with its French accent: outré. In French, this word means "exaggerated, excessive, or extreme," and is a past participle of the verb outrer, "to carry to excess or overdo," from outre, "beyond." If something is beyond what's considered normal or ordinary, it's outre: "His one-man play was so bizarrely outre that the audience didn't know how to respond."
Vocabulary lists containing outre
English Words Derived from French, List 10
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This Week In Culture: January 25–31, 2019
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The Call of Chtulhu
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Miss Dalley had come to return a book, Longfellow's "Outre Mer," and to borrow anything he might have about Ferrara.
From For the Major A Novelette by Woolson, Constance Fenimore
Including "Outre Mer," "Hyperion," "Kavanagh," "The Poets and Poetry of Europe," and "Driftwood."
From The Beckoning Hand and Other Stories by Allen, Grant
These sketches he finally concluded to give to the public, under the title of "Outre Mer; or, Sketches from Beyond Sea."
From Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made by McCabe, James Dabney
At West Outre an officer found time to show us his ingenious improvised laundry.
From A Labrador Doctor The Autobiography of Wilfred Thomason Grenfell by Grenfell, Wilfred Thomason, Sir
His two principal prose works are "Outre Mer" and "Hyperion."
From Evangeline with Notes and Plan of Study by Conover, W. F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
