strangely

strangely — adverb

1. done or happening in an odd, surprising, or puzzling manner

1.adverbB2
Definition

done or happening in an odd, surprising, or puzzling manner

Example

Tamar felt strangely calm before her piano exam.

adverb + adjective: strangely calm

The soup tasted strangely sweet, so Allison checked the ingredients.

adverb + adjective: strangely sweet

Common collocations
  • strangely calm
  • strangely quiet
  • strangely familiar
  • strangely beautiful
Synonyms
  • oddly

    very similar in register and meaning; often interchangeable

  • unusually

    emphasises deviation from what is normal or expected, slightly more formal

  • bizarrely

    stronger than 'strangely', used for very weird or shocking situations

  • weirdly

    informal, common in everyday conversation

Antonyms
  • normally

    in the usual or expected way

  • typically

    in a way that matches typical patterns or behaviour

Usage Note

Strangely can be placed in two positions: as a sentence adverb at the start of a clause (often with a comma) to express the speaker's reaction to the whole situation, or directly before an adjective or past participle to modify that specific word.

Common Mistakes

He looked strange at me.
He looked at me strangely.
'looked strange' describes appearance; use 'strangely' to describe the manner of looking.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Strangely is the most neutral and common choice for anything that deviates from the ordinary. Oddly is very similar but often carries a hint of mild incongruity — 'oddly dressed' suggests mismatched clothes, while 'strangely dressed' sounds harder to categorise. Unusually focuses on deviation from a norm, making it less emotional than strangely. Bizarrely is much stronger, reserved for extremely weird or shocking situations. Weirdly is the most informal option, typical in conversation. For example: 'The door was strangely (or oddly) ajar at midnight' (neutral), 'She was bizarrely dressed in a full clown costume' (extreme), 'He was weirdly quiet last night' (informal).

oddly ↗unusually ↗bizarrelyweirdly

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • quite strangely
  • very strangely

Phrases

  • strangely enough

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From the adjective 'strange' (unfamiliar, odd) plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. 'Strange' comes from Old French 'estrange,' which traces back to Latin 'extraneus' meaning 'foreign' or 'external.' Over time the meaning shifted from 'from another country' to 'unfamiliar' to 'odd or peculiar.'