weird

[ weerd ]

adjective

, weird·er, weird·est.

1. strange; odd; bizarre:

   Wow, that’s a weird getup.

   I value our friendship, and I’m afraid if we start dating, it’ll get weird between us.

2. Informal. not functioning properly or as expected; unstable; broken:

   My connection is weird so I can’t tell if they’re getting my messages or not.

   The car is great except for a weird compressor that doesn't work when you run the AC at a red light.

3. involving or suggesting the supernatural; unearthly or uncanny:

   a weird sound;

   weird lights.

   Synonyms: unearthly, spectral, preternatural, unnatural, janky, strange, peculiar, eccentric

   Antonyms: unexceptional, ordinary, normal

4. Archaic. concerned with or controlling fate or destiny.

noun

, Chiefly Scot.

1. fate; destiny.
2. the Weirds, the Fates.

verb phrase

1. Slang. to feel or cause to feel discomfort, confusion, or fear because of perceived strangeness:

   The cultlike admiration of some of her followers always weirded me out a little.

weird

/ wɪəd /

adjective

1. suggestive of or relating to the supernatural; eerie
2. strange or bizarre
3. archaic.
   of or relating to fate or the Fates

noun

1. archaic.
   1. fate or destiny
   2. one of the Fates
2. dree one's weird
   See dree

verb

1. tr to destine or ordain by fate; predict

Derived Forms

• ˈweirdly, adverb
• ˈweirdness, noun

Other Words From

• weird·ly adverb
• weird·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of weird¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun werd, wered, wird (northern form), Old English wyrd, weord; akin to worth ²; Middle English adjective originally attributive noun in phrase werde sisters “the Fates” (popularized as appellation of the witches in Macbeth )

Word History and Origins

Origin of weird¹

Old English ( ge ) wyrd destiny; related to weorthan to become, Old Norse urthr bane, Old Saxon wurd; see worth ²

Synonym Study

weird, eerie, unearthly, uncanny refer to that which is mysterious and apparently outside natural law. Weird can refer to that which is suggestive of the fateful intervention of supernatural influences in human affairs: the weird adventures of a group lost in the jungle. Eerie refers to that which, by suggesting the ghostly, makes one's flesh creep: an eerie moaning from a deserted house. Unearthly refers to that which seems by its nature to belong to another world: an unearthly light that preceded the storm. Uncanny refers to that which is mysterious because of its apparent defiance of the laws established by experience: an uncanny ability to recall numbers. See bizarre.

Example Sentences

"If they mention the character's body type," she says, "I pass immediately. It's lazy and weird."

From Salon

“This is super unexpected and very weird,” he said.

From New York Times

“It was a pleasure, in a weird, intense way,” says Hoult, discussing the fast turnaround from shoot to shoot to shoot.

From Los Angeles Times

“I know that’s kind of a weird take on it, but I’ve actually heard women say they thought that was a cool part.”

From Los Angeles Times

It connotes the unusual, the peculiar, the weird, the marginal.

From New York Times

Related Words

• awful
• creepy
• curious
• eccentric
• eerie
• eldritch
• freaky
• funky
• ghastly
• haunting
• horrific
• kooky
• magical
• mysterious
• outlandish
• peculiar
• spooky
• strange
• supernatural
• unnatural

How Do You Spell weird?

Spelling tips for weird

The word weird is hard to spell because the i goes before the e in many common words, like believe or chief, but weird doesn’t follow this rule.  

How to spell weird: To spell weird, remember that weird is weird; it doesn’t follow the classic “I before E except after C” rule. Another way to remember the order of i and e in weird is that it looks weird if you spell it wierd.