- comparative of strange.
stranger
Americannoun
-
a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance.
He is a perfect stranger to me.
- Antonyms:
- acquaintance
-
a newcomer in a place or locality.
a stranger in town.
-
an outsider.
They want no strangers in on the club meetings.
-
a person who is unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something (usually followed byto ).
He is no stranger to poverty.
-
a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest.
Our town shows hospitality to strangers.
-
Law. one not privy or party to an act, proceeding, etc.
noun
-
any person whom one does not know
-
a person who is new to a particular locality, from another region, town, etc
-
a guest or visitor
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(foll by to) a person who is unfamiliar (with) or new (to) something
he is no stranger to computers
-
law a person who is neither party nor privy to a transaction
Synonym Usage
Stranger, foreigner both refer to someone regarded as outside of or distinct from a particular group. Stranger may apply to one who does not belong to some group—social, professional, national, etc.—or may apply to a person with whom one is not acquainted. Foreigner emphasizes a difference in language, customs, and background.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stranger
1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French estrangier, equivalent to estrange strange + -ier -ier 2
Explanation
A stranger is someone you don't know or who doesn't belong in a specific place. Parents tell their kids, "Don't talk to strangers." That's because strangers are people they don't know, who could be dangerous. Just like strange things are odd or weird, a stranger is unknown and therefore potentially scary. Also, anyone out of place can be considered a stranger. A fireman in a police station is a stranger, and a mascot in a scientific lab is a stranger. Either type of stranger is likely to make someone say, "Who's that?"
Vocabulary lists containing stranger
"Encounter"
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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 1
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"Old World New World" and "The Log of Christopher Columbus"
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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.
See Examples For:
California is no stranger to the effects of El Niño, with the pattern associated with some of the state’s most memorable destructive winter seasons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Still, Pegula is no stranger to pressure as far as high-level sports are concerned, having been raised in a family that boasts an incredible athletic heritage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Khosla is also no stranger to the NFL.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Living in a mountain village in northern Greece, retired furrier Dimitris Despas is no stranger to brown bear encounters -- the latest one in his garden just weeks ago.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
He was far from Tall Tailless, and crossing the range of a stranger pack.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
And by the end of my night, strangers were socializing, showing off their painted cookie creations, sharing Banksy tidbits and asking for recommendations on various vinaigrette combinations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
If you are willing to have strangers in your home, you can save thousands on hotel costs with house swaps, depending on how much you travel.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Several of the women I spoke to described people they knew, or even strangers online, telling them they would change their minds about becoming mothers or were making the wrong decision.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Within weeks, strangers begin arriving at the house to seek Elio’s blessing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Or when they were telling me that my sister and I were being sent away to live with strangers.
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.
