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Synonyms

outlandish

American  
[out-lan-dish] / aʊtˈlæn dɪʃ /

adjective

  1. freakishly or grotesquely strange or odd, as appearance, dress, objects, ideas, or practices; bizarre.

    outlandish clothes; outlandish questions.

    Synonyms:
    curious, eccentric, queer, peculiar
  2. having a foreign appearance.

  3. remote from civilized areas; out-of the-way.

    an outlandish settlement.

    Synonyms:
    isolated, backwoods
  4. Archaic. foreign; alien.


outlandish British  
/ aʊtˈlændɪʃ /

adjective

  1. grotesquely unconventional in appearance, habits, etc

  2. archaic foreign

"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

Other Word Forms

  • outlandishly adverb
  • outlandishness noun

Etymology

Origin of outlandish

before 1000; Middle English; Old English ūtlendisc. See outland, -ish 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.

One of the more outlandish proposed solutions to climate change is to install orbiting fleets of mirrored satellites that can deflect sunlight, so cooling the planet.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

She tries to create the most outlandish tale possible for when relaying to guests one on one how her husband perished.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Some outsiders may have expected Tindall to make outlandish headline-grabbing statements but again, contrary to the persona, the softly-spoken Londoner was anything but box office.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

If MSG Sports splits up, a possible scenario is that an outside investor buys a minority stake in one of the team owners at some outlandish premium and injects fresh capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

It’s even proposed that the grotesques in medieval art may have been influenced by Ad Herennium s advice on the use of outlandish images to nail an idea in memory.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith