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Synonyms

oddball

American  
[od-bawl] / ˈɒdˌbɔl /

noun

  1. a person or thing that is atypical, bizarre, eccentric, or nonconforming, especially one having beliefs that are unusual but harmless.

adjective

  1. whimsically free-spirited; eccentric; atypical.

    an oddball scheme.
oddball British  
/ ˈɒdˌbɔːl /

noun

  1. Also called: odd bod.   odd fish.  a strange or eccentric person

"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

adjective

  1. strange or peculiar

"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

Etymology

Origin of oddball

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; odd + ball 1

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.

M31-2014-DS1 initially stood out as an "oddball," De says, but it now seems to be one of several examples, including NGC 6946-BH1.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

The U.S. is an oddball among Olympic nations, the only one that tallies up gold, silver, and bronze when it counts its medals at the end of the Games.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

He’s measured and open as he discusses “Pillion,” a complexly wrought debut feature from British filmmaker Harry Lighton opening Friday, and “The Moment,” an oddball mockumentary about Charli XCX’s de-brat-ification, now in theaters.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

They followed it up with the vibrant, oddball, goosebumpy 3D Country in early 2023.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

A few minutes later the oddball vendor wheeled his wagon out onto the sidewalk.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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.