strange

American  

[streynj] / streɪndʒ /

adjective

stranger, strangest

1. unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd; queer.

   a strange remark to make.

   Synonyms:

   anomalous, abnormal, singular, bizarre

2. estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one's natural environment.

   I felt strange as I walked through the crowded marketplace.

3. situated, belonging, or coming from outside of one's own locality; foreign.

   to move to a strange place; strange religions.

4. outside of one's previous experience; hitherto unknown; unfamiliar.

   strange faces; strange customs.

   Antonyms:

   familiar

5. unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unacquainted (usually followed byto ).

   I'm strange to this part of the job.

   Antonyms:

   familiar

6. distant or reserved; shy.

   Synonyms:

   aloof

   Antonyms:

   familiar

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adverb

1. in a strange manner.

strange British  

/ streɪndʒ /

adjective

1. odd, unusual, or extraordinary in appearance, effect, manner, etc; peculiar

2. not known, seen, or experienced before; unfamiliar

   a strange land

3. not easily explained

   a strange phenomenon

4. (usually foll by to) inexperienced (in) or unaccustomed (to)

   strange to a task

5. not of one's own kind, locality, etc; alien; foreign

6. shy; distant; reserved

7. it is unusual or surprising that

8. physics

   1. denoting a particular flavour of quark

   2. denoting or relating to a hypothetical form of matter composed of such quarks

      strange matter

      a strange star

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adverb

1. not_standard in a strange manner

Related Words

Strange, peculiar, odd, queer refer to that which is out of the ordinary. Strange implies that the thing or its cause is unknown or unexplained; it is unfamiliar and unusual: a strange expression. That which is peculiar mystifies, or exhibits qualities not shared by others: peculiar behavior. That which is odd is irregular or unconventional, and sometimes approaches the bizarre: an odd custom. Queer sometimes adds to odd the suggestion of something abnormal and eccentric: queer in the head.

Other Word Forms

• strangely adverb
• unstrange adjective
• unstrangely adverb
• unstrangeness noun

Etymology

Origin of strange

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus; extraneous

Example Sentences

The OLC does a strange thing here where they try to wave this away by saying, Oh, well, here context matters.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

There is nothing strange or unusual about the weather that is heading towards the UK over the next few days - it just marks a return to normal spring conditions.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, he said: "It feels good to be alive and get the prize, rather than to be dead and pick it up. It is strange that that is the case."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The biggest player on the giant national champion Michigan basketball team Monday night looked familiar, yet strange.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Angrily, the strange wolf pushed him away, and he fell backwards.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• astonishing
• bizarre
• curious
• different
• extraordinary
• fantastic
• funny
• new
• odd
• offbeat
• outlandish
• peculiar
• rare
• remarkable
• unusual
• weird
• wonderful