off-the-wall

Examples

• All

• As can be expected, it stirred up a lot of off-the-wall comments.

  Blog text (28)

• The stuff he makes me do is always off the wall!

  200 Motels (1971)

• I mean, it's completely off the wall, the kind of people who offer suggestions.

  Robinson Erhardt

• I know this is a very off the wall kind of scenario, but they make it much more personal than that.

  Danny Jones

• You know, he just did things that were so off the wall hilarious to keep everybody laughing.

  Bussin' With The Boys

• Could I make sort of an off-the-wall suggestion?

  Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)

• There was a time when I'd go out and eat alone at my favorite off-the-wall restaurants in San Francisco.

  Blog text (4)

• I have other thoughts, but those are just really off-the-wall guesses.

  Blog text (30)

• Harold stated, "I can't believe how off-the-wall these kids are."

  Academic text (2007)

• So here's a question by Dmitri Andrejev, and it might sound a little off the wall, but actually there's there's something to this.

Synonyms

C

crazy

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

∞ 1.4

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is less about madness and more about surprising, amusing oddness

W

weird

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

∞ 3.2

Strange or unusual in a way that makes people feel uncomfortable

is similar but usually more playful and amusing in tone

S

strange

vsoff-the-wall

∞ 2.3

Unusual and slightly odd in a way you cannot easily understand

leans more to surprising and amusing oddness rather than mere oddity

O

odd

vsoff-the-wall

878 1.0

Different from what is normal or expected

carries more surprise and a playful, unconventional edge

B

bizarre

vsoff-the-wall

389 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is equally odd but often lighter and amusing rather than extreme

F

freaky

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

158 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

is similarly strange but often feels amusing rather than unsettling

C

curious

vsoff-the-wall

142 4.0

Strange or unusual in a way that attracts attention

is similar but leans more to amusing surprise than mere curiosity

E

eccentric

vsoff-the-wall

91 7.2

Different from normal in a way people notice

is less about personality and more about amusing surprise

W

way-out

vsoff-the-wall

• Archaic

68 8.1

Very unusual and far from normal in ideas or style

is also unconventional but often in a more playful way

O

out of the ordinary

vsoff-the-wall

68 4.1

Not usual and different from what people expect

adds a sense of surprise and often gentle amusement to unusualness

U

unorthodox

vsoff-the-wall

48 7.3

Not following the usual rules or customs

is more about surprising oddness than deliberate rule rejection

O

outlandish

vsoff-the-wall

32 7.4

Strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is shocking too but usually with a comic or playful tone

B

bonkers

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

28 8.0

Acting or feeling very strange

is odd and unconventional but usually not implying mental instability

F

far-out

vsoff-the-wall

• Archaic

25 8.8

Very unusual in style or ideas

is similar but usually lighter and more amusing than avant garde

F

freakish

vsoff-the-wall

22 6.8

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is likewise attention grabbing but usually more playful or surprising

O

offbeat

vsoff-the-wall

18 6.6

Different from the usual in a fun or creative way

is more strongly strange and often more amusing or surprising

G

gonzo

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

15 9.7

Very strange and wild in style or behavior

shares wildness but is often less extreme and more amusing

L

left field

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

12 7.4

An unexpected, unusual idea or remark that surprises people

is similarly unusual but often adds playful amusement to surprise

O

out of the way

vsoff-the-wall

3 6.1

Unusual in a way that does not follow normal rules

is unconventional too but focuses more on amusing surprise

F

flakey

vsoff-the-wall

• UK

3 8.1

Unusual in a way that people notice

is more about being oddly surprising and often amusing rather than flaky

F

from left field

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

2 8.0

In a way that is not expected

shares unexpectedness but usually adds a fun, odd quality

O

ouf

vsoff-the-wall

• Slang

1 9.9

Very strange and exciting in a wild way

is similar but usually more playfully surprising than simply wild

O

off-piste

vsoff-the-wall

• UK

1 8.2

An idea or action that is unusual and not part of normal rules

is more about surprising oddness and often has a funny twist

O

out-of-the-way

vsoff-the-wall

1 6.3

Not usual and often interesting or surprising

adds a stronger sense of surprise and amusing oddness to unusualness

O

outré

vsoff-the-wall

• Literature

1 9.9

Very unusual and sometimes strange in a way that attracts attention

is similarly eccentric but tends to feel more playful than deliberate

L

like a penny in the fusebox

vsoff-the-wall

• Informal

9.9

Something surprising and out of place in a situation

is similar but tends to be more amusingly odd than merely misplaced

O

ostrobogulous

vsoff-the-wall

• NSFW

9.9

Strange and sometimes a little shocking

is more playful and often amusing rather than simply absurd

Antonyms

O

ordinary

681 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

C

conventional

287 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

How Unusual

outrageous

54 4.2

bizarre

389 5.9

off-the-wall

• Informal

14 8.0

unusual

∞ 2.2

odd

878 1.0

ordinary

681 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology