queer
strange or odd from a conventional viewpoint; unusually different; singular: The court has a queer notion of justice.
Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. (of a person) gay or lesbian.
noting or relating to a sexual orientation or gender identity that falls outside the heterosexual mainstream or the gender binary.
of a questionable nature or character; suspicious; shady: Something queer about the language of the prospectus kept investors away.
not feeling physically right or well; giddy, faint, or qualmish: If you feel queer, you should lie down for a bit.
mentally unbalanced or deranged.
Slang. bad, worthless, or counterfeit.
to put (a person) in a hopeless or disadvantageous situation as to success, favor, etc.
to jeopardize.
to interpret, analyze, or reconstruct (a narrative) based on the perspectives of people whose experiences fall outside normative ideas of gender and sexuality, especially in academic research and criticism: This film queers the Western genre by introducing a transgender lead.Her pioneering research queered the portrayal of medical professionals by emphasizing the work of LGBTQ+ doctors.
Often Disparaging and Offensive. (The noun “a queer” is often used with disparaging intent and considered offensive even among those who approve of the corresponding adjective “queer.” The plural “queers” is less likely to offend than the singular “a queer.”)
a gay or lesbian person.
a person whose sexual orientation or gender identity falls outside the heterosexual mainstream or the gender binary.
Slang. counterfeit money.
Idioms about queer
queer the pitch, British Informal. to spoil the chances of success.
Origin of queer
1usage alert For queer
usage note For queer
Queer is also a term used by activists and academics: queer politics; scholars of queer literature. The term has more recently come to include any person whose sexuality or gender identity falls outside the heterosexual norm or the gender binary. A person identifying as queer can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, gender-fluid, etc., and the use of queer allows for the expression of LGBTQ community membership without requiring any specific label.
More broadly, within academia, “to queer” can even refer to the act of interpreting a text using any non-normative or marginalized perspective. This sense plays with the dual meaning of queer as referring to people whose genders and sexualities have been marginalized, and as referring to something that is unusual or unconventional. In this sense, introducing the perspectives of people of color or people with disabilities would also be considered queering a text in literary or cultural criticism.
synonym study For queer
Other words for queer
Opposites for queer
Other words from queer
- queer·ly, adverb
- queer·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use queer in a sentence
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“Social media has been, even in spite of some of the challenges that queer communities and communities of color face, a democratizing force,” she said.
Puerto Rico LGBTQ activist blocked from Facebook accounts for two months | Kaela Roeder | October 23, 2020 | Washington BladeYet, Beard was terrified that people would find out that he was queer.
Transformer, a non-profit visual arts organization, has launched this year’s exhibit of “queer Threads” an ongoing initiative that seeks to explore LGBTQ identities through fiber and textile art forms.
Transformer unveils this year’s ‘Queer Threads’ exhibits | Parker Purifoy | October 22, 2020 | Washington BladeThe two-day celebration will feature performances, presentations, and critical discussions that explore various facets of the queer Filipinx experience.
Kamayan Coalition to celebrate Filipino American, LGBTQ History Months | Parker Purifoy | October 22, 2020 | Washington Blade
British Dictionary definitions for queer
/ (kwɪə) /
differing from the normal or usual in a way regarded as odd or strange
suspicious, dubious, or shady
faint, giddy, or queasy
informal, taboo homosexual
informal odd or unbalanced mentally; eccentric or slightly mad
slang worthless or counterfeit
informal, taboo a homosexual, usually a male
to spoil or thwart (esp in the phrase queer someone's pitch)
to put in a difficult or dangerous position
Origin of queer
1usage For queer
Derived forms of queer
- queerish, adjective
- queerly, adverb
- queerness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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