bizarre
markedly unusual in appearance, style, or general character and often involving incongruous or unexpected elements; outrageously or whimsically strange; odd: bizarre clothing; bizarre behavior.
Origin of bizarre
1synonym study For bizarre
word story For bizarre
For a long time, it was conjectured that bizarre is of Basque origin, coming from the word bizarra, meaning “beard.” This same word supposedly passed into Spanish and Portuguese as bizarro, with the meaning “handsome” or “brave” (one imagines in the belief that a man with a beard was endowed with those qualities). From there it was thought to have been adopted by the French, who liked the word but apparently did not attribute the same heroic qualities to the bearded man. In French, bizarre means “odd.”
Recently, a more likely etymology has gained ground—rather than from Spanish, the French word is thought to have come from bizzarro, an Italian word meaning “angry, choleric,” and which originally meant “brave, soldier-like.” Now, this still means that we have to get from a word meaning “angry” to one meaning “odd,” but it is, perhaps, a less bizarre journey.
popular references For bizarre
— Bizarre: A Canadian sketch comedy television series that aired from 1980–1985 in Canada, and in the U.S. on the cable channel Showtime.
—Bizarre Creations: A video game developer, based in Liverpool, England, and known for games like Blur (2010), James Bond 007: Blood Stone (2010), and the Project Gotham Racing series. The name Bizarre Creations came about in 1994 when the then nameless company needed a temporary name and chose “Weird Concepts.” A staff member later used Microsoft Word's Thesaurus on the name, which came up with “Bizarre Creations.”
— Mondo Bizarro: A 1966 faux travelogue that mixes often shocking documentary and mockumentary footage. The film is a successor to the 1963 film Mondo Cane, originator of the exploitation documentary genre.
— Mondo Bizarro: The name of the twelfth studio album by the New York punk band The Ramones. Released in 1992.
— Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: A television travel show that follows host Andrew Zimmern around the world as he tastes unusual local food. First aired in 2007 on the Travel Channel.
Other words for bizarre
Other words from bizarre
- bi·zarre·ly, adverb
- bi·zarre·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with bizarre
- bazaar, bizarre
Words Nearby bizarre
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bizarre in a sentence
Facing removal from a House committee for her elevation of various bizarre conspiracy theories, Greene spoke for 10 minutes Thursday in an effort to distance herself from those comments.
Greene brings her embrace of false claims back to levels acceptable for her caucus | Philip Bump | February 4, 2021 | Washington PostSo it seems bizarre that she’s not fronting a show that is primarily political.
I loved how strange it was that each body was different, each family was different, and that America has this completely bizarre relationship with death.
I think most people in the country think that it is bizarre.
Five key moments from education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona’s confirmation hearing | Valerie Strauss | February 3, 2021 | Washington PostIt’s just completely bizarre and unfair that people, and you’re going to run the Department of Education, you’re going to run the Department of Education and got no problem with it.
Rand Paul blasts letting transgender kids in school sports as ‘bizarre’ | Chris Johnson | February 3, 2021 | Washington Blade
In a bizarre matchup, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor came for the 20-year-old singer this past July in Ibiza.
The Bloom-Bieber Brawl We Didn’t Know We Needed | Kevin O’Keeffe | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd likewise the Easter bunny, a bizarre pagan myth if ever one there was.
In a bizarre twist to proceedings, Miss Manners sought to have her £30 cab fare from her Kensington flat to court refunded.
How A British Aristocrat Used Big Game Hunter’s Sperm To Get Pregnant Without His Permission | Tom Sykes | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBoth heroines are women, but they offer a pretty bizarre dichotomy for girls: Ice queen or ditzy princess.
“I thought it was quite bizarre and kind of sick,” Dr. Grenci said of being introduced to the subculture in 1979.
He had a rare gift of inventing words and phrases, and all sorts of bizarre expressions, that linger in the mind.
Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile GautierSeveral small kiosks at the corners and sides of the terrace give to the whole a somewhat bizarre though tasty appearance.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferThe innocent creature was sound asleep at the foot of a stand loaded with vases of bizarre form.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman | Eugne SueYet in the choice of words, one may search for the bizarre and unusual rather than for the truly picturesque.
English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) WebsterAmong these wretches, almost wholly in tatters, some were seen in bizarre accoutrement.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman | Eugne Sue
British Dictionary definitions for bizarre
/ (bɪˈzɑː) /
odd or unusual, esp in an interesting or amusing way
Origin of bizarre
1Derived forms of bizarre
- bizarrely, adverb
- bizarreness, noun
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
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