Dima
bizarre, peculiar, odd, weird, strange What's the difference between these words?
Apr 19, 2014 4:29 AM
Answers · 11
4
They are all used very interchangeably in English, so you can use any of them in most situations without any problems. There are only a few minor differences between them, so if you ask someone what just one of them means, the native speaker will probably tell you those other words in your list as part of the definition. "Odd" and "peculiar" are slightly more polite if you are talking about someone else: "Do you know Jim? I'm not sure what it is about him, but he strikes me as a bit odd/peculiar." "Bizarre," "strange," and "weird" would be a little more harsh when referring to people. However, any of these words can refer to any person, place, or idea. And they all describe something that is out of the ordinary, unexpected, and/or fantastical.
April 19, 2014
2
Bizarre means (from dictionary) very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement. Peculiar means strangely different. Bizarre is a stronger term. Odd means slightly different. Different from the expected usual. It is the weakest term for something being different. Weird means something supernatural or unbelievable. Strange means (from dictionary) unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand. In sentences: The experience at the circus was bizarre; the people were so strange/weird and creepy. That man had a peculiar/odd look on his face, very suspicious. That was an odd choice of food, you always get... That was weird/strange. Did you see that light in sky? I had a strange/weird dream last night... They are all synonyms, but as with all synonyms they have their specific use. Weird and strange are generally interchangeable and that is somewhat true with odd and peculiar.
April 19, 2014
1
they all mean almost the same thing, they are all pointing out that something is unique about someone, or a situation. However, there are tiers of uniqueness, and some are viewed as positive or negative. weird, strange are associated as negative words. He looks weird. (something about him makes him stand out in a bad way) That is a strange outfit. (the outfit does not make sense, doesn't match) Bizarre I use this word to explain situations...not usually a person. That was a bizarre storm. (the storm did not follow the pattern of a normal storm) peculiar, odd these two are not negative but simply pointing out something/someone was a bit different. She is a peculiar cat (the cat acts differently from other cats) The way she walks is a bit odd. ( she walks differently from others) unique is another word that can be grouped with these words and this word is a positive word. Her sense of style is unique. (her style is different from others, but in a good way) So from weakest word to strongest word odd, strange, peculiar, weird, unique, bizarre I hope this helps!!
April 19, 2014
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