odd duck

noun

plural odd ducks
: a strange person
"Oh, sure, I remember him from when I was a kid," [Lynn] Hewlett says. "… He was always aloof. Wouldn't speak to anyone. He was an odd duck. …"Mel White

Examples of odd duck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Mikasa Callie Mikasa Callie Bone China 12 Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4 in White $120 $78 Amazon The Mikasa Callie dishware set is a bit of an odd duck. Tom Mylan, Bon Appétit, 26 Feb. 2025 Toyne expounds on landing the Palm Royale gig and the musical inspirations for a show in which SNL vet Wiig plays the odd duck who just wants to fit in at a 1969 Palm Beach, Florida high society club. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024 But Breton was an odd duck, forever flitting between polemic and clenched restraint: apparently, the man who trumpeted the aesthetics of louche, feral freedom had no taste for drugs, brothels, or staying out late. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 Italia is an odd duck, both the story’s voice of conscience and a source of comic relief, a figure of fun and possibility. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024 The film follows a loveable family of odd ducks (voiced by Elizabeth Banks, Tresi Gazal, and Caspar Jennings) who try to convince their overprotective father (Kumail Nanjiani) to go on the vacation of a lifetime. EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023 The Grammys have always been the odd duck, fashion-wise, of the awards season, and that’s meant only as a compliment. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Apple In the pantheon of Macintosh, there are odd ducks, then there is the Macintosh XL. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2024 Sam is a curious character to build a play around, and not the only odd duck in New York’s drama pond these days. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of odd duck was in 1875

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Cite this Entry

“Odd duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odd%20duck. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

odd duck

noun
: a strange person

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