weird

weird — adjective

1. Something weird is very unusual in a way that surprises you or makes you feel a

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

Something weird is very unusual in a way that surprises you or makes you feel a little worried. A weird noise late at night or a weird taste in your mouth are everyday examples of this feeling.

Example

Camille heard a weird noise coming from the attic late at night.

collocation: weird noise / weird feeling / weird taste

Devika thought it was weird that the dog would not eat its food.

pattern: think + it + be + weird + that-clause

Common collocations
  • weird noise
  • weird feeling
  • weird taste
  • weird smell
  • weird thing
  • weird behaviour
  • weird idea
Synonyms
  • strange

    the most neutral and common alternative; slightly less emotional than 'weird'

  • odd

    suggests something is unusual in a way that stands out from what is normal

  • peculiar

    slightly more formal; describes something that is strange in a distinctive or individual way

  • bizarre

    stronger than 'weird'; describes something extremely strange and shocking

Antonyms
  • normal

    describes what is usual, typical, or expected

  • ordinary

    describes something with no special or unusual qualities

Grammar Patterns

it + be + weird + that-clause

find + object + weird

seem + weird

Usage Note

In informal conversation, people often use 'weird' where 'funny' could mean 'strange' rather than 'humorous'. For example, 'That's funny' can be rephrased as 'That's weird' to make it clear you mean 'puzzling, not amusing'.

Common Mistakes

This food tastes weirdly.
This food tastes weird.
'weird' is an adjective describing the food itself; 'weirdly' is an adverb for actions.

2. Weird can also describe something that feels connected to magic, ghosts, or myst

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Weird can also describe something that feels connected to magic, ghosts, or mysterious forces that people cannot normally see or explain. A weird glow in an empty house or a weird presence in a dark room are examples.

Example

Putri saw a weird blue light appear in the old temple at night.

collocation: weird + light / glow / shadow — supernatural contexts

Beatriz felt a weird presence in the empty room, as if someone was watching her.

Common collocations
  • weird light
  • weird presence
  • weird power
  • weird glow
  • weird happening
  • weird force
Synonyms
  • eerie

    describes something strange in a frightening, ghostly way; stronger emotional charge than 'weird'

  • uncanny

    describes something so strange it feels almost supernatural; often used for coincidences

  • mysterious

    focuses on the impossibility of explaining something, without necessarily implying magic

Antonyms
  • natural

    describes what happens according to normal laws of nature

Grammar Patterns

seem + weird

weird + noun (light/presence/power)

Usage Note

This sense is distinguished from sense 1 (STRANGE UNUSUAL) by an implication of supernatural or magical causes. If the strangeness could be explained by normal causes (a faulty machine, an unusual coincidence), sense 1 is more appropriate. If the situation suggests ghosts, witchcraft, or forces beyond scientific explanation, sense 2 is the right choice.

Common Mistakes

The machine made a weird supernatural noise.
The machine made a weird noise.
reserve 'supernatural' claims for situations where normal explanations seem impossible.
Idioms

funny weird/strange

idiom

This describes something that is unusual or odd in a way that is also amusing.

Mia found the old man's laugh funny weird, not humorous.

Did you think the movie was funny strange or just boring?

weird — noun

Word family

  • weirdly
    adverbB2
  • weirdness
    nounB2
  • weirdo
    nounB2
  • weirdie
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe things that are not normal, but they differ in strength and connotation. 'Strange' is the most neutral and common — it simply means unfamiliar or surprising. 'Odd' suggests something that stands out from the expected pattern, like an odd number or an odd choice of clothes. 'Peculiar' adds the idea of being distinctive or individual to that person or thing alone; it is slightly more formal. 'Bizarre' is much stronger and implies something extremely unusual that might shock people. 'Eerie' belongs to the supernatural sense (adjective/2) rather than this one — it describes a strange, frightening atmosphere, as in 'an eerie silence before the storm'. In everyday conversation, 'weird' falls somewhere between 'strange' and 'bizarre': stronger than 'strange' but less extreme than 'bizarre'.

strange ↗odd ↗peculiar ↗bizarre ↗eerie

Common collocations

Nouns

  • weird feeling
  • weird noise
  • weird thing
  • weird way
  • weird stuff
  • weird experience

Adverbs

  • really weird
  • kind of weird
  • a bit weird
  • so weird
  • too weird
  • totally weird

Phrases

  • find something weird
  • seem weird to someone
  • it is weird that...
  • feel weird about something
  • weird in a good way

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEarly Modern EnglishModern English

The word 'weird' comes from Old English wyrd, which was a noun meaning 'fate' or 'destiny'. In early Germanic mythology, the Wyrd (like the three Fates of Greek myth) were female spirits who decided the course of human life. When Shakespeare wrote about 'the weird sisters' in Macbeth (1606), he used 'weird' as an adjective meaning 'having the power to control fate'. Over the next centuries, the adjective gradually shifted from 'having power over destiny' → 'supernaturally strange' → simply 'very strange, unusual'. This is a classic example of semantic weakening: a word that once meant something as powerful as 'fate' now describes a slightly odd feeling or a funny taste.