unusual

[uhn-yoo-zhoo-uhl, -yoozh-wuhl]

adjective

1. not usual, common, or ordinary; uncommon in amount or degree; exceptional.

   an unusual sound; an unusual hobby; an unusual response.

   Synonyms: odd, queer, curious, singular, strange, rare, remarkable, extraordinary

unusual

/ ʌnˈjuːʒʊəl /

adjective

1. out of the ordinary; uncommon; extraordinary

   an unusual design

Other Word Forms

• unusualness noun
• unusually adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unusual¹

First recorded in 1575–85; un- ¹ + usual

Example Sentences

“A public candidature and campaigning like the one that we have seen this year is highly unusual,” said Nina Graeger, the director of Peace Research Institute Oslo.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Buses were running their full schedule, nothing unusual that I could tell,” Rocke Verser, a frequenter of Rocky Mountain National Park, said after finding trails, restrooms and other services fairly normal on Thursday.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Father and son were at the Natural History Museum reception, in an unusual joint appearance, at a pre-COP30 gathering co-hosted by the UK government.

Read more on BBC

The tight correlation between the gold market and stock market leadership is unusual.

Read more on Barron's

This incident was somewhat unusual in that most fume events don’t produce smoke.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• amazing 
• astonishing 
• awesome 
• bizarre 
• curious 
• exceptional 
• extraordinary 
• incredible 
• memorable 
• noteworthy 
• odd 
• phenomenal 
• rare 
• remarkable 
• significant 
• singular 
• special 
• strange 
• surprising 
• uncommon