outlandish

adjective

out·​land·​ish ˌau̇t-ˈlan-dish 

1

: of or relating to another country : foreign

saw many outlandish animals at the zoo

2

a

: strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre

an outlandish costume

Her book is filled with outlandish characters.

spun some outlandish tales

b

: exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards

workers complain of outlandish hours

—Joan E. Rigdon

outlandish government specifications

3

: remote from civilization

no other young men foolish enough to offer to go to such an outlandish station

—Geog. Jour.

outlandishly adverb

outlandishness noun

Did you know?

For some, the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence—it may also be very, very strange. The side-eye that skeptical sorts cast toward visitors from parts yonder is embedded in the history of the ancient word outlandish. In Old English someone described as “outlandish” came from an outland, i.e., a foreign land. Within a few hundred years, outlandish had broadened in use to describe anything unfamiliar or strange. It’s now commonly applied to things—especially things people do, wear, or say—that are strikingly out of the ordinary, or even just too-too—that is, too far beyond reasonable or proper limits or standards. But lest you mistake us for equating outlandish with wrong or bad, heed the words of Tony Stark (as played by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man) when addressing speculation that he is secretly a superhero: “That would be outlandish… and fantastic.”

Synonyms

• bizarre
• bizarro
• cranky
• crazy
• curious
• eccentric
• erratic
• far-out
• funky
• funny
• kinky
• kooky
• kookie
• odd
• off-kilter
• off-the-wall
• offbeat
• out-of-the-way
• outré
• peculiar
• quaint
• queer
• queerish
• quirky
• remarkable
• rum [chiefly British]
• screwy
• spaced-out
• strange
• wacky
• whacky
• way-out
• weird
• weirdo
• wild

Choose the Right Synonym for outlandish

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 outlandish in a Sentence

She fills her books with outlandish characters.

The actress wore an outlandish dress to the awards ceremony.

Recent Examples on the Web

What are seemingly outlandish possibilities that become more plausible with sufficient compute? —Nathan Warren, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024

But Tammy Faye, with her big hair, outlandish makeup, and tendency toward bigheartedness, remained a beloved figure, embracing those whom mainstream evangelicalism shunned. —Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024

Another outlandish example of bias can be found in a book called Penguins from the 1960s, which starts out as a beautiful, general book about penguins. —Amy Brady, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2024

Robinhood took the trading world by storm when Redditors used the brokerage to make outlandish trades on imperiled stocks like GameStop and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

outlandish

adjective

out·​land·​ish (ˈ)au̇t-ˈlan-dish 

: of strange appearance or manner : bizarre

an outlandish costume

outlandishly adverb

outlandishness noun