outlandish
adjective
Joan E. RigdonGeog. Jour.
Did you know?
For some, the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence—it may also be very, very strange. The side-eye that skeptical sorts cast toward visitors from parts yonder is embedded in the history of the ancient word outlandish. In Old English someone described as “outlandish” came from an outland, i.e., a foreign land. Within a few hundred years, outlandish had broadened in use to describe anything unfamiliar or strange. It’s now commonly applied to things—especially things people do, wear, or say—that are strikingly out of the ordinary, or even just too-too—that is, too far beyond reasonable or proper limits or standards. But lest you mistake us for equating outlandish with wrong or bad, heed the words of Tony Stark (as played by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man) when addressing speculation that he is secretly a superhero: “That would be outlandish… and fantastic.”
Synonyms
Examples of outlandish in a Sentence
Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
Two North Jersey churches have planned some of the country's most outlandish egg hunts to celebrate the most holy of occasions for Christians.
—William Westhoven, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
There’s always been a playful irreverence to his films, an unabashed adoration for B-movie exuberance, his outlandish stories’ faint emotional underpinnings married to giddy spectacle.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Besson wrote this outlandish story, and while his directing is better than his screenwriting there is an undeniable flair to everything about this weird affair.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
But the more outlandish theories have continued, with some social media users believing her latest video was either fake or generated by A.I.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Each new Tesla Roadster delay gives Elon Musk more time to come up with outlandish possible features.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
While the latest developments will not quash all the online hysteria surrounding the princess, having a clearer timeline of what Kate’s been going through since January has already gone some way in taking the edge off some of the more outlandish speculation.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
If so, most viewers will never see them, owing to some behind-the-scenes butting of heads that’s nearly as outlandish as the melees onscreen.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outlandish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Outlandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlandish. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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outlandish
adjective
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