strange

1 of 2

adjective

stranger; strangest
1
a
: different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected : odd
a strange sound
a strange person
the cat's strange behavior
b
: not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar
customs that were strange to him
feeling lost in a strange city
2
a
: not entirely comfortable or well : uncomfortable, ill at ease
felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach
I left Lady Glyde … and joined Mrs. Rubelle, with the object of kindly preventing her from feeling strange and nervous in consequence of the uncertainty of her situation.Wilkie Collins
b
dated : discouraging familiarities : reserved, distant
… why did you break off our confidences and become quite strange to me?George Bernard Shaw
3
: unaccustomed sense 2
She was strange to his ways.
4
a
: not native to or naturally belonging in a place : of external origin, kind, or character
b
archaic : of, relating to, or characteristic of another country : foreign
strangely adverb

strange

2 of 2

noun

often attributive
: a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of −¹/₃ and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV
also : the flavor characterizing this particle
Choose the Right Synonym for strange

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected.

strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's First Lady

eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

Examples of strange in a Sentence

Adjective Does his behavior seem strange to you? Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. That is one of the strangest creatures I have ever seen. He gave me a strange look. Strange as it may seem, I don't like walking barefoot on the grass. It's strange that nobody told me about this before. That's strange. He was here a minute ago. The strange thing is that nobody saw him enter or leave the building. Children are taught not to talk to strange people. The language was strange to me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
But something that strange just happened in California’s primary: Former Dodgers great and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey advanced to the general election along with Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff — after being elevated almost entirely by the other team. David Daley, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 The former president and the current president have their hands in it in a very strange way. Lauren Goode Michael Calore, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Why does a question so sensible, so altruistic, feel so strange? Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 In January 2008, residents of Stephenville, Texas, reported seeing strange lights and formations in the sky. The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 But in a strange, sad way, there’s something marvelous about that really. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Instead of quelling rumors about her well-being, her U.K. Mother’s Day greeting resulted in a rare apology from the British royal for the Photoshop fail, making a strange situation even more bizarre. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 What better way to add some character to your car collection than with a recreation of one of the stranger Formula 1 competitors of all time? RM Sotheby’s will auction off a period-correct race car based on the Tyrrell P34 at its upcoming Monaco event. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 In a strange reversal of a longstanding trend with the Academy, this year’s documentary short ballot is almost entirely domestic (which is to say, films made by or about Americans), while the feature doc category — where subtitles aren’t so common — is entirely international. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strange.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English straunge, strange, straynge "foreign, unfamiliar, from elsewhere, unusual, aloof," borrowed from Anglo-French estrange, estraunge "outside the family, foreign, unusual, marvelous" (continental Old French estrange), going back to Latin extrāneus "not belonging to one's family or household, coming from abroad, foreign, external," from extrā "outside, beyond the boundaries of" + -āneus, adjective suffix — more at extra-

Note: For more on the suffix -āneus see the etymology and note at spontaneous. The immediate model for extrāneus was perhaps phrasal derivatives (as circumforāneus "connected with the business of the forum, itinerant," mediterrāneus "remote from the coast, inland") that deal with spatial relationships. The counterpart adjective intrāneus is not attested until about the fifth century.

Noun

derivative of strange entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Noun

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strange was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near strange

Cite this Entry

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strange. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strange

adjective
ˈstrānj
stranger; strangest
1
: not native to or naturally belonging in a place
2
a
: not known, heard, or seen before
strange surroundings
b
: causing surprise or wonder because not usual : noticeably unusual
strange clothes
3
: uneasy sense 1
feels strange on the first day of school
strangely adverb
strangeness noun
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English strange "foreign," from early French estrange (same meaning), from Latin extraneus, literally, "external, coming from the outside," from extra "outside" — related to extra-

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