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odd man out

odd man out

8 6.1
A person who is clearly different from others and does not fit in
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : el que sobra
  • He felt like the odd man out at the party because everyone else knew each other.
  • feel like the odd man out
  • always the odd man out
  • look like the odd man out

And I'm probably the odd man out in this conversation of the other EJ and MKI.

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Examples

  • Norms and Jean fit right in, making Defoe feel more than ever the odd man out.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • No matter how hard I tried, I was always the odd man out, the last one picked, the screw-up, the black sheep.

  • I was the odd man out and not going to these things.

  • I, I think some of this comes from my having been the odd man out in so many circumstances throughout my life.

  • Oh, am I the odd man out here?

  • I may very well be, and probably am, the odd man out!

    Blog text (21)
  • I thought I was the odd man out.

    Blog text (5)
  • I'm the odd man out here.

  • I feel like the odd man out, frankly.

    Blog text (19)
  • In today's busy world, we are often seen as the "odd man out" if we are not as busy as everyone else.

    Blog text (4)

Synonyms

character
vsodd man out
  • Informal
623 4.1

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

is specifically about being the one who stands out as different in a group
anomaly
vsodd man out
165 7.1

Something that is not normal or expected

applies that idea specifically to a person who stands out socially
weirdo
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
119 7.0

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

adds the idea of being notably different within a surrounding group
outlier
vsodd man out
  • Specialized
35 6.7

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

is similar but centers on social oddness and eccentric impression rather than data
kook
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
35 8.8

A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way

is similar but usually implies a milder, simply noticeable difference
oddball
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
21 7.2

A person who acts in a strange way

stresses being noticeably different rather than only quirky behavior
odd man
vsodd man out
  • Informal
9 5.9

A person who does not fit in with a group

is about being noticeably different and often seen as eccentric or unusual
eccentric
vsodd man out
1 7.0

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

is more about visible difference and being set apart from others
eccentric person
vsodd man out
1 6.0

A person with unusual habits or behavior

highlights being the noticeably different person among a group
odd fellow
vsodd man out
  • Informal
1 6.8

A person who acts in a way people think is strange

focuses on being noticeably different and standing out in a group
weirdie
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
1 9.9

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

focuses on standing out without the negative or unpleasant tone
bit of a weirdo
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A person who acts a little strange or different

denotes a clear noticeable difference, often stronger than slight oddness
aberrant
vsodd man out
1 9.1

A person who behaves very differently from what others expect

focuses on being noticeably different as a person rather than rule breaking
odd fish
vsodd man out
  • Informal
8.2

A person who behaves in a strange or unusual way

emphasizes being the one who stands out as different in the group
weirdy
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who acts strange and makes others uncomfortable

is similar but does not imply unpleasantness, just clear difference
queer duck
vsodd man out
  • Archaic
9.6

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

is the general label for being noticeably different rather than playful slang
queer bird
vsodd man out
  • Archaic
9.4

A person who acts in an odd or unusual way

is a neutral description of being noticeably different, not only slang
queer fish
vsodd man out
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who seems strange to other people

is the straightforward description of standing out as different
ouf
vsodd man out
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who behaves in a wild or strange way

means being noticeably different but without implying wild or crazy action
unicum
vsodd man out
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who is very unusual and stands out from others

overlaps but the key often implies ordinary social separation rather than rarity

Antonyms

in-crowd
  • Informal
5 8.0

A group of popular people who set trends others follow

How Different

pariah
27 9.0
outcast
5 5.1
outsider
283 4.1
odd man out
  • Informal
8 6.1

Surface Forms

odd man out singular
odd men out plural

Morphology

odd + man + out

The meaning 'a person who is noticeably different or excluded' is directly compositional from 'odd' (different), 'man' (person) and 'out' (excluded/left out). This straightforward combination (cf. 'odd one out') follows common cross-linguistic patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Odd man out comes from a simple children's choosing game where people point to the one person who is odd and left out. So today it means someone who seems 'different' or does not fit in.