outlandish

[ out-lan-dish ]

adjective

1. freakishly or grotesquely strange or odd, as appearance, dress, objects, ideas, or practices; bizarre:

   outlandish clothes; outlandish questions.

   Synonyms: curious, eccentric, queer, peculiar

2. having a foreign appearance.
3. remote from civilized areas; out-of the-way:

   an outlandish settlement.

   Synonyms: isolated, backwoods

4. Archaic. foreign; alien.

outlandish

/ aʊtˈlændɪʃ /

adjective

1. grotesquely unconventional in appearance, habits, etc
2. archaic.
   foreign

Derived Forms

• outˈlandishness, noun
• outˈlandishly, adverb

Other Words From

• out·landish·ly adverb
• out·landish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of outlandish¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English ūtlendisc. See outland, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

But they’re no more outlandish than recent headlines about a Fox News co-host and combat veteran running the Department of Defense, or an anti-vaxxer picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

From Los Angeles Times

The comedy capers into some outlandish territory, but audiences seem happy to suspend disbelief for the chance to enjoy Farrow and LuPone demonstrate that it’s never too late for a woman to reinvent herself.

From Los Angeles Times

At a recent rally in Michigan, former First Lady Michelle Obama said Trump has “no honesty, no decency, no morals,” and too often gets a pass for his outlandish behavior.

From Los Angeles Times

Not unlike 2020, Trump and his allies are preemptively making outlandish and extreme assertions to lay the groundwork for a claim, if they don’t prevail, that the election was stolen.

From Salon

Trump’s entire campaign to regain the presidency can be seen as an outlandish gamble on evading accountability for a series of grave and manifest crimes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eccentric
• extravagant
• fantastic
• far-out
• grotesque
• odd
• outrageous
• peculiar
• preposterous
• ridiculous
• rude
• unconventional
• unusual
• weird
• whimsical