stranger; strangest
1
a
: different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected : odd
a strange sound
a strange person
the cat's strange behavior
b
: not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar
customs that were strange to him
feeling lost in a strange city
2
a
: not entirely comfortable or well : uncomfortable, ill at ease
felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach
I left Lady Glyde … and joined Mrs. Rubelle, with the object of kindly preventing her from feeling strange and nervous in consequence of the uncertainty of her situation.—
Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins3
: unaccustomed sense 2
She was strange to his ways.
4
a
: not native to or naturally belonging in a place : of external origin, kind, or character
b
archaic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of another country : foreign
strangely
adverb
often attributive
: a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of −¹/₃ and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV
also
: the flavor characterizing this particle
Synonyms
Adjective
Examples of strange in a Sentence
Adjective
Does his behavior seem strange to you?
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
That is one of the strangest creatures I have ever seen.
He gave me a strange look.
Strange as it may seem, I don't like walking barefoot on the grass.
It's strange that nobody told me about this before.
That's strange. He was here a minute ago.
The strange thing is that nobody saw him enter or leave the building.
Children are taught not to talk to strange people.
The language was strange to me.
Recent Examples on the WebSpencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
The red-carpet VIPs were a strange mix of Beatle exes Jane Asher and Cynthia Lennon, A Hard Day’s Night director Richard Lester, a few Hare Krishnas.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
My lifelong partner, Cristóbal Zapata, saw a news item on television about a mine that was operated exclusively by women, something very strange because mining in Chile has always been very male.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
And by some strange twist of fate, so much of that game rests on the broad shoulders of Kuminga.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
As strange as the gold bar scam strategy may seem, a similar plot was recently carried out in Maryland — leading to the arrest of a 34-year-old California man, Wenhui Sun, Maryland authorities said in a March news release.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Growing up outside Colstrip in the 1970s could lead to strange moments for Clint McRae, the son of a cowboy poet.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
But parts of the story also struck me as strange and dark.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024
But some of these insects won’t succeed in their goal of procreating — instead, they’ll be controlled like zombies into spreading a strange fungus that hijacks cicadas’ bodies and behavior.
—Kate Golembiewski, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Much of the album is a dreary muddle, but with strange and surprising charms, and a couple of flashes of magic.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
The red-carpet VIPs were a strange mix of Beatle exes Jane Asher and Cynthia Lennon, A Hard Day’s Night director Richard Lester, a few Hare Krishnas.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
My lifelong partner, Cristóbal Zapata, saw a news item on television about a mine that was operated exclusively by women, something very strange because mining in Chile has always been very male.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
And by some strange twist of fate, so much of that game rests on the broad shoulders of Kuminga.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
As strange as the gold bar scam strategy may seem, a similar plot was recently carried out in Maryland — leading to the arrest of a 34-year-old California man, Wenhui Sun, Maryland authorities said in a March news release.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Growing up outside Colstrip in the 1970s could lead to strange moments for Clint McRae, the son of a cowboy poet.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
But parts of the story also struck me as strange and dark.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024
But some of these insects won’t succeed in their goal of procreating — instead, they’ll be controlled like zombies into spreading a strange fungus that hijacks cicadas’ bodies and behavior.
—Kate Golembiewski, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strange.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near strange
Cite this Entry
“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strange. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share