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.
Sommer has been covering the grotesqueries of outré right-wing conspiracy culture for nearly a decade now.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
Wineman isn’t afraid to spelunk truly deranged depths, but what’s remarkable is how much style he incorporates into the film’s most outré moments.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
Like such previously outré Lanthimos features as “Dogtooth,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “The Lobster,” the movie is a bleak comedy that generates severe discomfort amid its absurdity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
In the ’80s, when Boy George or Billy Idol were coming through Lorenzo’s boutique to buy the latest outré designs from Europe, the sales staff at a store would be your guides.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2025
Not only did the mere word "morphinomaniac" fill her with dread, but it roused in her the born Conservative's resentment against anything in the least outré or eccentric.
From Shadows of Flames A Novel by Rives, Amélie
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.
