strange

[ streynj ]

See synonyms for: strange stranger strangely on Thesaurus.com

adjective,strang·er, strang·est.

unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd; queer: a strange remark to make.
estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one's natural environment: I felt strange as I walked through the crowded marketplace.

situated, belonging, or coming from outside of one's own locality; foreign: to move to a strange place; strange religions.
outside of one's previous experience; hitherto unknown; unfamiliar: strange faces; strange customs.
unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unacquainted (usually followed by to): I'm strange to this part of the job.
distant or reserved; shy.

adverb

in a strange manner.

Origin of strange

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

synonym study For strange

1. 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 words for strange

1	bizarre, singular, abnormal, anomalous
6	aloof

See synonyms for strange on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for strange

4-6

familiar

See antonyms for strange on Thesaurus.com

Other words from strange

strangely, adverb
un·strange, adjective
un·strange·ly, adverb
un·strange·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use strange in a sentence

And one of the strangest odysseys I can imagine is “To Know Him Is To Love Him.”
Greil Marcus Talks About Trying to Unlock Rock and Roll in 10 Songs | Allen Barra | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the strangest moment in the show was when Cruise dragged Holmes out to the cheering crowd.
How Can Katie Holmes Escape Tom Cruise—and ‘Dawson’s Creek’? | Tim Teeman | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, we rounded up the strangest, most surprising facts about The Lion King.
‘The Lion King’ Turns 20: Every Crazy, Weird Fact About the Disney Classic | Kevin Fallon | June 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Senate race was one of the dirtiest, grimiest, strangest campaigns in recent political history.
Runoff Required in Mississippi’s Dirtiest Primary | Ben Jacobs | June 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Biblical scholars have called this passage among “the strangest,” “most obscure,” and “most difficult” in the Hebrew Bible.
The Backstory of ‘Noah’ Is Full of Giants, Horny Angels, and a Grieving God | Tim Townsend | March 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

He was the strangest-looking creature Davy had ever seen, not even excepting the Goblin.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. Carryl
That was how I learnt the strangest tale that ever a man was told, and knew the miracle to which I owed my life.
Uncanny Tales | Various
But strangest of all the dishes at the Tagal's feast was one prepared from a kind of beetle.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton Wade
His life had been the strangest contrast to the calm countenance which I saw so tranquilly listen to its own tale.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various
The strangest materials were used in their construction; the public taste leaning towards relics possessing historical interest.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for strange

strange

/ (streɪndʒ) /

adjective

odd, unusual, or extraordinary in appearance, effect, manner, etc; peculiar
not known, seen, or experienced before; unfamiliar: a strange land

not easily explained: a strange phenomenon
(usually foll by to) inexperienced (in) or unaccustomed (to): strange to a task
not of one's own kind, locality, etc; alien; foreign
shy; distant; reserved
strange to say it is unusual or surprising that
physics
- denoting a particular flavour of quark
- denoting or relating to a hypothetical form of matter composed of such quarks: strange matter; a strange star

adverb

not standard in a strange manner

Origin of strange

C13: from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see extraneous

Derived forms of strange

strangely, adverb

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

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