quirk

American  

[kwurk] / kwɜrk /

noun

1. a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism.

   He is full of strange quirks.

2. a shift, subterfuge, or evasion; quibble.

3. a sudden twist or turn.

   He lost his money by a quirk of fate.

4. a flourish or showy stroke, as in writing.

5. Architecture.

   1. an acute angle or channel, as one dividing two parts of a molding or one dividing a flush bead from the adjoining surfaces.

   2. an area taken from a larger area, as a room or a plot of ground.

   3. an enclosure for this area.

6. Obsolete. a clever or witty remark; quip.

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adjective

1. formed with a quirk or channel, as a molding.

quirk British  

/ kwɜːk /

noun

1. an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible

2. an unexpected twist or turn

   a quirk of fate

3. a continuous groove in an architectural moulding

4. a flourish, as in handwriting

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Related Words

See eccentricity.

Other Word Forms

• quirkily
  adverb
• quirkiness
  noun
• quirky
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of quirk

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Explanation

A quirk is a unique, odd, and sometimes charming trait that makes a person stand out from the crowd. Country comedian Minnie Pearl was known for her quirk of wearing a $1.98 price tag dangling from her hat. A quirk can be an adorable little habit, like wearing flowery dresses and big sun bonnets or bow ties every day. Someone who has one or many quirks is said to be quirky — a little odd, but usually in a fun way. When it's not being used to describe people's unusual traits, quirk can mean a quick curve, or a groove, that runs along or separates the molding in a building.

Example Sentences

“The jump was expected due to a quirk from the government shutdown,” noted Thomas Simons, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

The company’s earnings will also be hurt by an accounting quirk that forces the company to take paper losses on the value of hedging contracts before realizing gains from increases in commodity prices.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

It would also almost certainly extend access to health benefits — a quirk of American marriage that experts said lies at the heart of the legal fight over poly partnerships.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

During testing, I ran into another maddening keyboard quirk, where I tapped the right letters but iOS spit out the wrong ones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

And here was a cunning quirk of physiology.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• aberration
• characteristic
• eccentricity
• foible
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• kink
• mannerism
• peculiarity
• trait
• twist
• vagary