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strange

 - 3 dictionary results

strange

  [streynj] adjective, strang⋅er, strang⋅est, adverb
–adjective
1. unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd; queer: a strange remark to make.
2. estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one's natural environment: In Bombay I felt strange.
3. situated, belonging, or coming from outside of one's own locality; foreign: to move to a strange place; strange religions.
4. outside of one's previous experience; hitherto unknown; unfamiliar: strange faces; strange customs.
5. unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unacquainted (usually fol. by to): I'm strange to this part of the job.
6. distant or reserved; shy.
–adverb
7. in a strange manner.
Use strange in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; ME < OF estrange < L extrāneus; see extraneous

Related forms:
strangely, adverb

Synonyms:
1. bizarre, singular, abnormal, anomalous. Strange, peculiar, odd, queer refer to that which is out of the ordinary. Strange implies that the thing or its cause is unknown or unexplained; it is unfamiliar and unusual: a strange expression. That which is peculiar mystifies, or exhibits qualities not shared by others: peculiar behavior. That which is odd is irregular or unconventional, and sometimes approaches the bizarre: an odd custom. Queer sometimes adds to odd the suggestion of something abnormal and eccentric: queer in the head. 6. aloof.

Antonyms:
4–6. familiar.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To strange
strange   (strānj)   
adj.   strang·er, strang·est

  1. Not previously known; unfamiliar.

    1. Out of the ordinary; unusual or striking.

    2. Differing from the normal.

    3. Reserved in manner; distant.

    4. Not comfortable or at ease; constrained.

  3. Not of one's own or a particular locality, environment, or kind; exotic.

    1. Reserved in manner; distant.

    2. Not comfortable or at ease; constrained.

  5. Not accustomed or conditioned: She was strange to her new duties.

  6. Archaic Of, relating to, or characteristic of another place or part of the world; foreign.

adv.  In a strange manner.

[Middle English, from Old French estrange, extraordinary, foreign, from Latin extrāneus, adventitious, foreign, from extrā, outside, from feminine ablative of exter, outward; see eghs in Indo-European roots.]
strange'ly adv.
Synonyms: These adjectives describe what deviates from the usual or customary. Strange refers especially to what is unfamiliar, unknown, or inexplicable: All summer I traveled through strange lands.
Peculiar particularly describes what is distinct from all others: Cloves have a peculiar aromatic odor.
Something that is odd or queer fails to accord with what is ordinary, usual, or expected; both terms can suggest strangeness or peculiarity: I find it odd that his name is never mentioned. "Now, my suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose" (J.B.S. Haldane).
Quaint refers to pleasing or old-fashioned peculiarity: "the quaint streets of New Orleans, that most foreign of American cities" (Winston Churchill).
Outlandish suggests alien or bizarre strangeness: The partygoers wore outlandish costumes.
Singular describes what is unique or unparalleled; the term often suggests a quality that arouses curiosity or wonder: Such poise is singular in one so young.
Eccentric refers particularly to what is strange and departs strikingly from the conventional: His musical compositions were innovative but eccentric.
Curious suggests strangeness that excites interest: Americans living abroad often acquire a curious hybrid accent. See Also Synonyms at foreign.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

strange 
c.1280, "from elsewhere, foreign, unknown, unfamiliar," from O.Fr. estrange (Fr. étrange) "foreign, alien," from L. extraneus "foreign, external," from extra "outside of" (see extra). Sense of "queer, surprising" is attested from c.1374. Stranger, attested from 1375, never picked up the secondary sense of the adj. As a form of address to an unknown person, it is recorded from 1817, Amer.Eng. rural colloq. Meaning "one who has stopped visiting" is recorded from 1530.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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