weird
Americanadjective
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Wow, that’s a weird getup.
I value our friendship, and I’m afraid if we start dating, it’ll get weird between us.
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Informal. not functioning properly or as expected; unstable; broken.
My connection is weird so I can’t tell if they’re getting my messages or not.
The car is great except for a weird compressor that doesn't work when you run the AC at a red light.
-
involving or suggesting the supernatural; unearthly or uncanny.
a weird sound;
weird lights.
- Antonyms:
- unexceptional, ordinary, normal
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Archaic. concerned with or controlling fate or destiny.
verb phrase
adjective
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suggestive of or relating to the supernatural; eerie
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strange or bizarre
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archaic of or relating to fate or the Fates
noun
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archaic
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fate or destiny
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one of the Fates
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See dree
verb
Usage
Spelling tips for weird The word weird is hard to spell because the i goes before the e in many common words, like believe or chief, but weird doesn't follow this rule. How to spell weird: To spell weird, remember that weird is weird; it doesn't follow the classic "I before E except after C" rule. Another way to remember the order of i and e in weird is that it looks weird if you spell it wierd.
Related Words
weird, eerie, unearthly, uncanny refer to that which is mysterious and apparently outside natural law. Weird can refer to that which is suggestive of the fateful intervention of supernatural influences in human affairs: the weird adventures of a group lost in the jungle. Eerie refers to that which, by suggesting the ghostly, makes one's flesh creep: an eerie moaning from a deserted house. Unearthly refers to that which seems by its nature to belong to another world: an unearthly light that preceded the storm. Uncanny refers to that which is mysterious because of its apparent defiance of the laws established by experience: an uncanny ability to recall numbers. See bizarre.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of weird
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun werd, wered, wird (northern form), Old English wyrd, weord; akin to worth 2; Middle English adjective originally attributive noun in phrase werde sisters “the Fates” (popularized as appellation of the witches in Macbeth )
Explanation
Call something weird when it’s strange, bizarre, or strikes you as odd. Putting peanut butter on pizza is weird. So is most abstract, conceptual performance art. Our definition of weird is rooted in Germanic mythology, where the “weird sisters” were three funky-looking goddesses that controlled fate and destiny: We dropped the idea of destiny and clung to how weird the weird sisters looked. In today’s slang we even use weird as a verb, as in “to weird someone out” or make them feel uneasy.
Vocabulary lists containing weird
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird".
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
In walk-and-talk videos, he used Trump’s singsong cadences to freestyle on pop culture topics from Scooby-Doo to Weird Al Yankovic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
“It’s not about fitting in — it’s just about living your life, and it’s OK to be how you are. Weird might not be the best word, but in our case, weird is beautiful.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025
Modern comedians such as Weird Al Yankovich said they have been influenced by Lehrer's work.
From BBC • Jul. 27, 2025
Weird shapes and half-words come up on the screen as the app attempts to translate.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
