unusual
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unusual
Explanation
Something unusual is uncommon. It's odd, weird, or out of the ordinary in some way. Unusual is the opposite of usual, thanks to the prefix un, meaning "not." Unusual things are noteworthy: you don't see them every day. A dog chasing a squirrel is usual. A squirrel chasing a dog would be unusual. Unusual can mean strange and bizarre, or just things that are rare. If someone is always absent, showing up would be unusual. Most surprising things are unusual.
Vocabulary lists containing unusual
List 7
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Strange
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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.
The result: debates in council chambers and school committees on the pros and cons of a specific class of medications, an unusual topic for city managers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
As the Times drily put it, “To say that Mr. Ahmadinejad was an unusual choice would be a vast understatement.”
From Slate • May 23, 2026
The unusual May heat gripping the UK is forecast to intensify over the bank holiday weekend, reaching heatwave criteria in a number of locations.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The unusual rocky planet could represent a rare cosmic oddity, or it might reveal a broader trend astronomers have not yet recognized.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
“Cells mutate all the time. It’s not as unusual as they’d have you believe in the movies.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
