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strange land
surreal land
foreign land
unknown land
strange feelings
peculiar feelings
bizarre feelings
odd feelings
unusual feelings
weird feelings
strange behavior
bizarre behavior
suspicious behavior
odd behavior
unusual behavior
unexpected behavior
strange noises
unusual noises
scary noises
curious noises
peculiar noises
disturbing noises

Synonym Chooser

How is the word strange distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, and unique. While all these words 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

When might eccentric be a better fit than strange?

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When could erratic be used to replace strange?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

In what contexts can odd take the place of strange?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When is it sensible to use outlandish instead of strange?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When would peculiar be a good substitute for strange?

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When is quaint a more appropriate choice than strange?

In some situations, the words quaint and strange are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

Where would singular be a reasonable alternative to strange?

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When can unique be used instead of strange?

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 strange At this time—in the Ediacaran Period—the land was overwhelmingly barren and lifeless; although shallow seas played host to an array of strange, soft bodied creatures. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 The marine mammals seemed to curious as to what this strange object was that fell out of the sky. Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Many thought the creature in the photo wasn't an exotic or strange animal at all. Kelli Bender, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 But a blinkered narrative coupled with misty-eyed aesthetic choices yield a strange and scattershot result. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strange
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strange
Adjective
  • The esoteric will never sit completely comfortably in the mainstream, because that’s the point of it: to be unusual, bizarre, absurd.
    Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • So many of the characters on this show speak with such bizarre, precise dialogue that can only make sense in the Severance world.
    Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 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
  • Most small businesses are not operating an entire influencer marketing department and may be unfamiliar with how pricing works or operating with very small budgets.
    Kristen Bousquet, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Lewis-Potter has been in excellent form for Brentford in the unfamiliar position of left-back and he was capped four times by England’s Under-21s.
    Jay Harris, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As a result, Canadians have rejected American imports and issued other economic punishments in an unusual show of patriotism.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Network security also gets a significant upgrade with the help of AI. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) powered by AI monitor traffic in real time, can flag unusual patterns that might indicate a security breach.
    Kathleen Walch, Forbes, 16 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
  • How To Meet Halfway As 2019 research from Personality and Individual Differences explains, clashes in cognitive processing can make constructive communication markedly difficult during conflict in romantic relationships.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 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
  • Many of them rely on novel legal theories about presidential power that go against longstanding judicial precedent or have never been tested in court.
    Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Such discoveries have raised cautious optimism among scientists seeking novel solutions to antibiotic-resistant bacteria—one of medicine's most pressing crises.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Tornadoes were not uncommon at the time, as Missouri is often considered part of an area of the U.S. nicknamed Tornado Alley.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
  • But, while the results might have given internet viewers a shock, these types of ultrasound pictures aren't uncommon.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strange. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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