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Synonym Chooser

How is the word outlandish distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of outlandish are eccentric, erratic, odd, peculiar, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When is it sensible to use eccentric instead of outlandish?

The words eccentric and outlandish can be used in similar contexts, but eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

In what contexts can erratic take the place of outlandish?

Although the words erratic and outlandish have much in common, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When can odd be used instead of outlandish?

In some situations, the words odd and outlandish are roughly equivalent. However, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When would peculiar be a good substitute for outlandish?

While the synonyms peculiar and outlandish are close in meaning, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When could quaint be used to replace outlandish?

The meanings of quaint and outlandish largely overlap; however, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

When is singular a more appropriate choice than outlandish?

The words singular and outlandish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

Where would strange be a reasonable alternative to outlandish?

While in some cases nearly identical to outlandish, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might unique be a better fit than outlandish?

The synonyms unique and outlandish are sometimes interchangeable, but unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outlandish Trump has often found a way out of these cul-de-sacs by finding something even more outlandish to distract. Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025 Visual notes of gothic horror, steampunk and video game graphics; slo-mo and muted color palettes; outlandish stunts further pushed over the top by CGI. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025 Cowan appeared briefly at the end of the show – a parade of outlandish patterns and teased wigs – much to the delight of boyfriend Sam Smith who watched on alongside Kesha, who also camped out at the afterparty at Casa Cipriani. Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025 Some view his proposal to take over Gaza as outlandish or immoral, and are no fans of Israel’s right-wing government. Katie Glueck, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outlandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlandish
Adjective
  • But their work didn’t rule out the possibility of bizarre algorithms that could somehow use the same piece of memory for storage and calculations simultaneously—the computing equivalent of using a page filled with important notes as scratch paper.
    Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The movie, based on the video game of the same name, centers around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • After the invisible-car antics of Die Another Day, Daniel Craig's series of turns as Bond brought the franchise back to basics, beginning with 2006's romantic, suspenseful Casino Royale.
    EW.com, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The moment was born out of a need for Edward to have something to do in the hotel while Vivian comes looking for him, leading into to a romantic sequence.
    Kate Hogan, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sure, the plot’s kind of a mess, but warrior Alice is an empowering turn while Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter’s big-headed Red Queen are splendidly strange.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
  • This brings to conclusion one of the stranger and more dramatic human spaceflight stories in years.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The Kakadu Plum Many exotic foods are rich in vitamin C.
    Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Practically speaking, the most important thing is not whether the exotic topological state can be proven to be present, but whether researchers can build a qubit that is both controllable and much more robust against noise than approaches that are more mature.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • What happened was that all of this comedy spoken in Kansai-ben was understood nationwide as being funny.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Everyone thought this was very funny, including, to her credit, Kate.
    Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Gargantuan, weird outcomes can start small in the tech world, and often innocently.
    Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The trendy beauty treatment is all the rage on TikTok, and it’s garnered tons of attention for being a weird way to reap anti-aging benefits.
    Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • However, thanks to advances in low-light performance, that’s all changed, with the latest models (and even those a few years old) able to take spectacular photos and impressive videos of colorful aurora.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Don’t forget to pick up some colorful stitch markers!
    Jené Luciani Sena, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The charter movement has attracted some odd political bedfellows.
    David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Unique creatures, odd animals and new species are discovered across the planet.
    Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outlandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlandish. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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