Skip to main content
outlandish

outlandish

34 7.4
Strange or unusual in a way that surprises people
  • adjective
  • /aʊtˈlændɪʃ/
translation icon : extravagante
  • She wore outlandish hats that made her stand out in the crowd.
  • outlandish ideas
  • outlandish claims
  • outlandish statements

They've made nowhere near enough money to cover all these outlandish guarantees.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • At these sessions, all suggestions, no matter how outlandish, were listed on the blackboard.

    Academic text (1991)
  • As always, Margery's ideas were as outlandish as anything she had ever heard.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • It's not as outlandish as it could be.

  • So it's not as outlandish as it seems.

  • Working for her bread, wearing outlandish clothes.

  • Of course it might seem outlandish or shocking to others.

  • Okay some of this may sound outlandish to you but I assure you it's necessary.

  • So neither scheme is as outlandish or unprecedented as it may seem.

    Academic text (1994)
  • No matter how outlandish these plays get, the heroes always prevail in the end.

  • And the public loved him for his outlandish outfits and glib tongue.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

strange
vsoutlandish
2.3

Unusual and slightly odd in a way you cannot easily understand

is more emphatic, meaning strikingly unfamiliar rather than mildly odd
weird
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
3.2

Strange or unusual in a way that makes people feel uncomfortable

is similar but more about being strikingly unfamiliar than confusing
crazy
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
1.4

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is similarly strong but more about standout unfamiliarity than foolishness
unusual
vsoutlandish
2.2

Not common and different from what people expect

is stronger, meaning noticeably strange rather than just rare
odd
vsoutlandish
798 1.0

Different from what is normal or expected

is more extreme, implying striking noticeability rather than mere uncommonness
bizarre
vsoutlandish
406 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is similar but stresses being noticeably unfamiliar rather than only odd
exotic
vsoutlandish
237 4.8

Unusual and interesting because it comes from another country or is different from what people know

is unusual due to strangeness itself rather than foreign origin
freaky
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
165 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

is odd too but focuses more on being noticeably unusual than unsettling
peculiar
vsoutlandish
123 4.6

Different from what is normal and expected

is more intense, stressing being strikingly unusual rather than mildly different
eccentric
vsoutlandish
99 7.2

Different from normal in a way people notice

is similar but focuses more on causing noticeable strangeness than nonconformity
out of the ordinary
vsoutlandish
48 4.1

Not usual and different from what people expect

is more likely to cause surprise by being strikingly unfamiliar
freakish
vsoutlandish
23 6.8

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is similar but stresses unfamiliarity and noticeability rather than mere abnormality
anomalous
vsoutlandish
23 8.1

Not like what is usual or expected

is similar but more about causing strong notice than formal deviation
far-out
vsoutlandish
  • Archaic
17 8.8

Very unusual in style or ideas

is similarly unusual but not limited to avant garde style
flaky
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
15 5.9

Being a bit strange in behavior or appearance

is broader, stressing striking unfamiliarity beyond just unconventional actions
way-out
vsoutlandish
  • Archaic
8 8.1

Very unusual and far from normal in ideas or style

is also extreme but focuses on being noticeably strange rather than distant style
off-the-wall
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
7 8.0

Strange and often funny in a surprising way

is more about causing notice by being strange rather than amusingly odd
out of the way
vsoutlandish
3 6.1

Unusual in a way that does not follow normal rules

is more about drawing attention by being strikingly strange rather than improper
gonzo
vsoutlandish
  • Informal
1 9.7

Very strange and wild in style or behavior

is similarly wild but emphasizes odd unfamiliarity over experimental method
out-of-the-way
vsoutlandish
1 6.3

Not usual and often interesting or surprising

is generally strange in any context, not only remote cases
outré
vsoutlandish
  • Literature
9.9

Very unusual and sometimes strange in a way that attracts attention

is equally striking but more broadly strange rather than stylishly odd
ostrobogulous
vsoutlandish
  • NSFW
9.9

Strange and sometimes a little shocking

shares oddness but is more about being noticeably unfamiliar than playful absurdity
ouf
vsoutlandish
  • Slang
9.9

Very strange and exciting in a wild way

is equally extreme but more neutral and less slangy in tone
flakey
vsoutlandish
  • UK
8.1

Unusual in a way that people notice

is focused on being noticeably strange in appearance rather than only behavior

Antonyms

683 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

175 2.8

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

How Unusual

outrageous
192 4.2
bizarre
406 5.9
outlandish
34 7.4
peculiar
123 4.6
odd
798 1.0
unusual
2.2

Surface Forms

outlandish positive

Morphology

outlandish = outland (semi-transparent) = out + land + ish

Built from 'outland' + '-ish' where 'outland' suggests foreignness but the modern sense has broadened to mean 'strange' or 'bizarre', so the meaning is not fully derivable.

Etymology

Outlandish comes from the simple parts out- meaning 'out' and land meaning 'land', and it once meant 'from another country'. So something outlandish feels like it comes from 'another land' and so seems strange or very different from what you know.