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odd fellow

odd fellow

1 6.8
A person who acts in a way people think is strange
  • noun
  • /ɑd ˈfɛloʊ/
  • Informal
translation icon : tipo raro
  • Everyone in the office thought he was an odd fellow for always wearing mismatched socks.

Examples

  • At the party, she introduced me to her friend, who is quite the odd fellow with his unusual habits.

  • He was an odd fellow, that's all.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "Odd fellow.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The artist was known as an odd fellow because of his unique style and quirky personality.

Synonyms

character
vsodd fellow
  • Informal
623 4.1

An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act

is used when pointing out difference within a specific group
anomaly
vsodd fellow
165 7.1

Something that is not normal or expected

is the ordinary social comparison term for being unusual
weirdo
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
119 7.0

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

is a softer label used for being different within a group
flake
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
43 8.0

A person who seems strange and cannot be relied on

is the group label that notes oddness without unreliability
outlier
vsodd fellow
  • Specialized
35 6.7

A person or thing that is clearly different from others in a group

is the social description used for different people in a group
kook
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
35 8.8

A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way

is milder and simply notes unusualness among group members
oddball
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
21 7.2

A person who acts in a strange way

is focused on being different compared with group members
spook
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
14 7.8

A person who seems strange and makes others uncomfortable

is the nonjudgmental term for being different in a group
odd man
vsodd fellow
  • Informal
9 5.9

A person who does not fit in with a group

is the general label for being odd compared to group members
odd man out
vsodd fellow
  • Informal
8 6.1

A person who is clearly different from others and does not fit in

is the everyday phrase for being unusual among peers
bizarro
vsodd fellow
  • Slang
4 9.9

A person who behaves very strangely

is the neutral group comparison without strong informality
freakazoid
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
4 9.9

A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way

is the calmer group-focused description without exaggeration
eccentric
vsodd fellow
1 7.0

A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd

is the term used when comparing that person to peers
eccentric person
vsodd fellow
1 6.0

A person with unusual habits or behavior

is the group-centered description highlighting difference from others
bit of a weirdo
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A person who acts a little strange or different

is the neutral group comparison term without mild judgement
weirdie
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who acts in a strange way that others find unpleasant

is the neutral term used to note being different among peers
lovable weirdo
vsodd fellow
  • Informal
1 6.7

A person with odd habits who others like

is neutral and focuses on difference rather than affection
aberrant
vsodd fellow
1 9.1

A person who behaves very differently from what others expect

is a gentler description of being different within a group
odd fish
vsodd fellow
  • Informal
8.2

A person who behaves in a strange or unusual way

is used to note being different specifically within a group
weirdy
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who acts strange and makes others uncomfortable

is the milder, group-focused description without negative tone
ouf
vsodd fellow
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who behaves in a wild or strange way

is the calmer social description used to note group difference
queer bird
vsodd fellow
  • Archaic
9.4

A person who acts in an odd or unusual way

is the plain term for being different within a social group
queer duck
vsodd fellow
  • Archaic
9.6

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

is the general group-focused description of being unusual
queer fish
vsodd fellow
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who seems strange to other people

is the everyday label used when noting group difference
unicum
vsodd fellow
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who is very unusual and stands out from others

is the common social phrase for being uncommon among peers

Antonyms

35 1.0

The usual or expected state

How Eccentric

weirdo
  • Offensive
119 7.0
oddball
  • Offensive
21 7.2
odd fellow
  • Informal
1 6.8
eccentric
1 7.0

Surface Forms

odd fellow singular
odd fellows plural

Morphology

odd + fellow

The meaning is directly compositional from 'odd' (peculiar) + 'fellow' (person); a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer 'an eccentric or unusual person'. This follows a standard adjective + noun pattern common across languages and is therefore immediately comprehensible without special idiomatic knowledge.

Etymology

Odd fellow may come from an old use of odd meaning 'different' and fellow meaning a man. People used it for someone who did not fit the usual group, so the picture of a man who stands out explains why odd fellow means 'unusual' or 'eccentric' today.