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Synonyms

unusual

American  
[uhn-yoo-zhoo-uhl, -yoozh-wuhl] / ʌnˈyu ʒu əl, -ˈyuʒ wəl /

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 British  
/ ʌnˈjuːʒʊəl /

adjective

  1. out of the ordinary; uncommon; extraordinary

    an unusual design
"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

Other Word Forms

  • unusually adverb
  • unusualness noun

Etymology

Origin of unusual

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

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 November report on U.S. job openings bears out this unusual state affairs in the labor market.

From MarketWatch

The November report on U.S. job openings bears out this unusual state affairs in the labor market.

From MarketWatch

What sets these viruses apart is their unusual ability to insert their genetic material into human chromosomes.

From Science Daily

Announcing a candidate this early is unusual - if a week's a long time in politics, then two-and-a-half years is an eternity.

From BBC

Rubio gave Latin America and the Caribbean unusual attention for a U.S. secretary of state, traveling to 10 countries in the region in his first year.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.