strange

American  

[streynj] / streɪndʒ /

adjective

stranger, strangest

1. unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd; queer.

   a strange remark to make.

   Synonyms:

   anomalous, abnormal, singular, bizarre

2. estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one's natural environment.

   I felt strange as I walked through the crowded marketplace.

3. situated, belonging, or coming from outside of one's own locality; foreign.

   to move to a strange place; strange religions.

4. outside of one's previous experience; hitherto unknown; unfamiliar.

   strange faces; strange customs.

   Antonyms:

   familiar

5. unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unacquainted (usually followed byto ).

   I'm strange to this part of the job.

   Antonyms:

   familiar

6. distant or reserved; shy.

   Synonyms:

   aloof

   Antonyms:

   familiar

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adverb

1. in a strange manner.

strange British  

/ streɪndʒ /

adjective

1. odd, unusual, or extraordinary in appearance, effect, manner, etc; peculiar

2. not known, seen, or experienced before; unfamiliar

   a strange land

3. not easily explained

   a strange phenomenon

4. (usually foll by to) inexperienced (in) or unaccustomed (to)

   strange to a task

5. not of one's own kind, locality, etc; alien; foreign

6. shy; distant; reserved

7. it is unusual or surprising that

8. physics

   1. denoting a particular flavour of quark

   2. denoting or relating to a hypothetical form of matter composed of such quarks

      strange matter

      a strange star

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adverb

1. not_standard in a strange manner

Related Words

Strange, peculiar, odd, queer refer to that which is out of the ordinary. Strange implies that the thing or its cause is unknown or unexplained; it is unfamiliar and unusual: a strange expression. That which is peculiar mystifies, or exhibits qualities not shared by others: peculiar behavior. That which is odd is irregular or unconventional, and sometimes approaches the bizarre: an odd custom. Queer sometimes adds to odd the suggestion of something abnormal and eccentric: queer in the head.

Other Word Forms

• strangely adverb
• unstrange adjective
• unstrangely adverb
• unstrangeness noun

Etymology

Origin of strange

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus; see extraneous

Explanation

Anything that is unusual or out of the ordinary can be described as strange, like the strange sight of an ice cream truck pulling up in front of your school and your principal skipping over to it. The adjective strange comes from Latin word extraneus, meaning “foreign” or “external.” If someone approaches you speaking with a strange accent, it means you can't identify where the person is from, not that he or she is odd or weird — the newer meaning of strange. But remember, it once was a strange sight to see a person talking on a cell phone; when the unknown becomes known, it is no longer strange.

Example Sentences

All this competence puts us in a strange state — a suspenseful trance — in which you feel on edge while also relaxing into the idea that the characters have things under control.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Such vulnerabilities are "strange", said Babihuga-Nsanze, given that Africa has 80 percent of the world's phosphate reserves -- a key fertiliser source -- yet only produces 20 percent of the global stock.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

"Being top throughout has brought a strange sort of comfort in a way, we've never been chasing or anything like that," Saints fan and Dogger Saints podcaster, Danny Williams told BBC Scotland.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

The latter is sung by “SNL” alum Ana Gasteyer, a standout as the unofficial moral enforcer of the town, who sees the strange interlopers as, well, troublemakers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

I had powers, even though I have to say that there was a pretty strange thing about every rescue story I thought of.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Related Words

• astonishing
• bizarre
• curious
• different
• extraordinary
• fantastic
• funny
• new
• odd
• offbeat
• outlandish
• peculiar
• rare
• remarkable
• unusual
• weird
• wonderful