Word of the Day

: July 13, 2023

outlandish

adjective out-LAN-dish

What It Means

Outlandish describes things that are strikingly strange or unusual; in this use, it's a synonym of bizarre. Outlandish can also describe things, such as claims, rumors, and accusations, that go beyond reasonable limits or standards.

// One of the author's greatest strengths is her ability to write outlandish characters whose quirks remain lodged in readers' minds long after they've finished the book.

// When asked to back up his outlandish claims, the governor quickly changed the subject, all but admitting that he had no proof for his allegations.

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outlandish in Context

“The Derby is the horse racing equivalent of opening day, a spring festival for which all the sport's top owners and trainers put their best feet forward, thinking this might be their year. More even than the outlandish hats worn by patrons, optimism defines it.” — Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2023

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.”