oddball

[od-bawl]

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

/ ˈɒdˌbɔːl /

noun

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

adjective

1. strange or peculiar

Word History and Origins

Origin of oddball¹

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

Example Sentences

Not your average ergonomics paper - and just the kind of delightfully oddball idea: a prototype for a UVC light-equipped shoe rack that doesn't just store shoes but sterilises them.

From BBC

They advocate educating young scientists in how to communicate to the public about how they work, presenting an “easily recognizable public face so we are not seen as white-coated oddballs lurking in dark corners.”

From Los Angeles Times

Shot on 35mm VistaVision, “One Battle After Another” will be a rare chance to see Anderson bring his sly digressions, oddball humor and tonal whiplash to a canvas usually reserved for Bayhem.

From Los Angeles Times

But it also turns him into a lonely, rigidly neoclassicist oddball who scorns his professors, prefers books to his flighty peers and still can’t seem to take care of himself.

From Los Angeles Times

These five projects — a combination of celebrity portraits, true-crime thrillers and oddball sagas — suggest the breadth of HBO Documentary Films’ strategy for an art form that has blossomed on the small screen.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eccentric