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freakishness

freakishness

1 7.5
A quality of being very strange or different from most people
  • noun
  • /ˈfriːkɪʃnəs/
translation icon : extrañeza
  • The clown's strange makeup added to his overall freakishness, making the children both laugh and cry.

Examples

  • Her isolation and its consequent feelings of freakishness and unwomanliness were a constant source of anxiety and depression.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Obvious pride mixes with oversized freakishness in an over-the-top display of survival of the fittest strength taken to the limits of plausibility.

    Blog text (6)
  • When it comes to freakishness, we could be said to be of two minds.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Anyway, all the best. I 100% agree; let's not even give the time of day to these people anymore. Let them have their control freakishness that will only hurt them and "flash on."

    Blog text (14)
  • He knew he was a freak, but he also knew that there were more subtle, interesting ways of approaching freakishness than making fun of it.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The synagogue offered some respite from my mounting sense of freakishness.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Bad enough to have the equipment truck break down in the flattest, most god-forsaken stretch of natural freakishness she'd ever laid eyes on.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Because of the freakishness of the boy's death, one of the boys in the back row, Hoover, couldn't resist wisecracking.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The most refreshing thing about Fancher's brand of surrealism is the way he just jumps right in, with no buildup or throat-clearing attempts to explain whatever freakishness he's describing.

    Blog text (31)
  • The immediate text was imperial culture, though the subtext was made almost explicit by the slogans that proclaimed rarity, eccentricity, and freakishness, while guaranteeing authenticity.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

weirdness
vsfreakishness
35 4.6

Being very strange or unusual in a way that attracts attention

is a more neutral term for being abnormal rather than informal
eccentricity
vsfreakishness
15 7.8

Unusual behavior or habits that are different from what most people do

marks odd or abnormal traits without implying deliberate unconventionality
strangeness
vsfreakishness
12 5.5

The feeling that something is unusual or hard to explain

implies a stronger sense of abnormality than mere unfamiliarity
oddity
vsfreakishness
12 5.9

An unusual habit, quality, or way of thinking

describes the overall quality of being very abnormal rather than one thing
abnormality
vsfreakishness
11 5.2

Something that is not normal and can be seen in the body or test results

is a less clinical idea about being strange than a medical term
outrageousness
vsfreakishness
3 7.2

A quality of being shocking or extreme

is about being strange rather than intentionally shocking or extreme
bizarreness
vsfreakishness
1 6.9

A state of being very strange or unusual that surprises people

is the broader idea of being abnormal, not only extreme oddness
oddness
vsfreakishness
1 5.8

A state of being unusual or strange in a way that is hard to explain

is a straightforward word for being abnormal rather than puzzling
high strangeness
vsfreakishness
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A very strange, unexplained event often linked to paranormal activity

is a general term for abnormality not limited to paranormal cases
freakiness
vsfreakishness
1 6.1

A quality of being strange or unexpected, like odd weather

is the general state of being abnormal rather than surprising
unusualness
vsfreakishness
1 6.9

How different or rare something is compared with what people expect

focuses on abnormal or bizarre quality rather than simple rarity
outlandishness
vsfreakishness
1 8.4

Being very unusual in appearance, ideas, or behavior

covers oddness generally rather than flashy or theatrical oddness
screwiness
vsfreakishness
  • Informal
1 8.0

A strange way of behaving that is often funny or surprising

is about being strange without the amusing or playful tone
extraordinariness
vsfreakishness
1 7.7

The quality of being very unusual and making someone or something stand out

is about oddness or abnormality rather than positive exceptionality
freakery
vsfreakishness
8.8

Very unusual actions or things that attract attention

means strangeness more generally rather than attention seeking oddity

Antonyms

13 3.5

A time when things are usual and happen as expected

3 4.1

A state of being usual and not special

How Strange

freakishness
1 7.5
bizarreness
1 6.9
weirdness
35 4.6
strangeness
12 5.5
oddness
1 5.8

Surface Forms

freakishness singular

Morphology

freakishness = freakish (transparent) = freak + ish + ness

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'freakish', a regular and predictable process.

Etymology

Freakishness comes from freak, a word that once meant a sudden change and later was used for 'an odd person', and the parts -ish and -ness mean 'like' and 'quality'. So, freakishness is the 'quality of being very strange'.