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eccentric

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eccentric distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of eccentric are erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When is erratic a more appropriate choice than eccentric?

While the synonyms erratic and eccentric are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When is it sensible to use odd instead of eccentric?

While in some cases nearly identical to eccentric, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

Where would outlandish be a reasonable alternative to eccentric?

Although the words outlandish and eccentric have much in common, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When could peculiar be used to replace eccentric?

The meanings of peculiar and eccentric largely overlap; however, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

In what contexts can quaint take the place of eccentric?

In some situations, the words quaint and eccentric are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

When can singular be used instead of eccentric?

The words singular and eccentric can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When would strange be a good substitute for eccentric?

The words strange and eccentric are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might unique be a better fit than eccentric?

The synonyms unique and eccentric are sometimes interchangeable, but unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of eccentric
Adjective
For the uninitiated, Wallace is a bald, toothy, eccentric inventor of whirring, beeping gadgets that no else much wants. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 Nosferatu has a few eerie set pieces, including a scene with Friedrich’s wife, Anna (Emma Corrin), and some rats, and Willem Dafoe eventually and enjoyably turns up as the eccentric Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, who specializes in the otherworldly. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
André 3000 has influenced rap eccentrics his junior whose idiosyncratic sensibility is seen in their sound and clothes: California’s Tyler, the Creator, Cavalier from Brooklyn, and EarthGang, the Atlanta group for which Spelman’s curator in residence Karen Lowe brings OutKast to mind. Julian Randall, Essence, 25 Nov. 2024 Long before its golden sands and rocky coves became reality TV-famous, Laguna Beach was known as an enclave for artists, eccentrics, surfers, and bohemians. Christina Pérez, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for eccentric 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eccentric
Adjective
  • Duran Duran has paid tribute to the late American filmmaker David Lynch, whose brilliant and bizarre films laid the inspirational groundwork for a young Nick Rhodes.
    Lars Brandle, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025
  • By Judy Berman January 17, 2025 6:00 AM EST The spectacular finale of Severance’s first season introduced a love triangle more bizarre than New Order could ever have imagined.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • When the police eventually approached her because of her drunken behavior, Dynevor decided not to break character.
    Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The peewee population interacted with each other in various settings and included bocce bowlers, bare-bottomed peasants, baguette bakers, blind men, the mustachioed mayor, female fishmongers, dunce hat-wearing schoolboys, snail saleswomen, and gobs more characters.
    gqlshare, Orange County Register, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Their release marks just the latest twist in a long, strange road for both extremist leaders.
    Will Carless, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Paleontologists have known something strange happened between the end of the Triassic Period and the beginning of the Jurassic for the better part of a century.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The end of that era should be celebrated, but this calling out of the loudmouths, oddballs, misogynists and gropers may have tipped into an overly condemnatory age.
    Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 31 Dec. 2024
  • But favorites and oddballs aside, all of the pieces come together to make a full drag kit, or collection of products performers use to craft their onstage personas.
    TAYLOR ALXNDR, Them, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The scene perfectly captures the absurdity of Toya throwing a party for her first Birkin—made even funnier by the group’s collective indifference.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Read: Does Dave Chappelle find anything funnier than being cancelled?
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • On most stations, Hollywood Squares will temporarily replace repeats of another CBS game show, The Price Is Right whose originals run earlier in the day.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The result is a record, full of originals and covers, that transports the listener to a time and place that profoundly changed Marczak’s life.
    Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Skip to main content Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about reads.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Yeah, the weirdest feeling is that initial feeling of shock.
    Chris Perugini, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Won’t everyone gawk at that weirdo claiming a table for one?
    Angela Haupt, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The film is a fish-out-of-water caper, as two exotic art weirdos attempt to charm ranchers and perplexed local officials.
    Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eccentric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eccentric. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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