strange
strange
Pronunciation
strange: /streɪndʒ/
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/eɪ/ - diphthong (as in "day")
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
/dʒ/ - voiced palato-alveolar affricate
Word Form Variations
Adjective: strange (comparative: stranger, superlative: strangest)
Adverb: strangely
Noun: strangeness
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition 1: Unfamiliar, unusual, or unexpected; not previously encountered or known.
Synonyms: peculiar, odd, curious, unfamiliar, uncommon, bizarre, weird, alien
Antonyms: familiar, common, normal, ordinary, typical, usual
Definition 2: Causing a feeling of wonder, surprise, or bewilderment; difficult to understand or explain.
Synonyms: perplexing, puzzling, mystifying, uncanny, unsettling, eerie
Antonyms: clear, understandable, predictable, straightforward
Definition 3: (Of a person) Not belonging to one's family, friends, or community; a stranger.
Synonyms: unknown, unfamiliar, alien, foreign
Antonyms: known, familiar, native, local
Adverb
Strangely
Definition: In an unusual or unexpected manner; in a way that causes surprise or wonder.
Synonyms: peculiarly, oddly, unusually, bizarrely, curiously, weirdly
Antonyms: normally, commonly, ordinarily, typically, usually
Noun
Strangeness
Definition: The quality or state of being strange; the characteristic of being unfamiliar, unusual, or difficult to understand.
Synonyms: peculiarity, oddity, unfamiliarity, unusualness, bizarreness, weirdness, curiousness
Antonyms: familiarity, commonness, normality, ordinariness, typicality, usualness
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a strange house, full of strange people doing strange things." (From The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson)
"There were many strange tales told of the old lighthouse keeper." (From The Lighthouse by P. D. James)
Newspapers:
"Police are investigating a strange turn of events after a local landmark vanished overnight." ( The Daily Herald)
"Economists are observing a strange trend in consumer spending habits this quarter." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"The deep-sea anglerfish is known for its strange and bioluminescent lure." (National Geographic online)
"Users reported a strange glitch affecting their accounts last night, causing temporary access issues." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Series: "This season of Stranger Things takes an even stranger turn when new creatures emerge from the Upside Down." (Netflix series, Season 4)
Music: "You're a strange kind of beautiful, you're a strange kind of new." (From the song "Strange" by Celeste)
Film: "The protagonist wakes up in a strange new world, with no memory of how he got there." (Describing the plot of Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios)
Video Game: "Players encounter many strange artifacts and ancient ruins as they explore the alien planet." (Description of No Man's Sky)
General Public Discourse:
"It's strange how quickly the weather can change here." (Heard in conversation)
"I had the strangest dream last night, I was flying over a city of cats." (Personal anecdote)
"That's a strange thing to say in public." (Comment on social media)
10 Quotes Using Strange
Here is a numbered list of ten famous quotes that strictly use the word "strange":
"The truth is often stranger than fiction." (Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto XIV, Stanza 101, 1823)
"It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to postpone it, it never fails to come sooner than you expect." (Lemony Snicket, The Reptile Room, 2000)
"How strange it is to be anything at all." (Neutral Milk Hotel, "Holland, 1945", In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, 1998)
"It is a strange thing how little in fact we know about the feelings of others." (Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926)
"That ends this strange eventful history." (William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII, c. 1599)
"He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." (Albert Einstein, Living Philosophies, 1931)
"It's a strange world, isn't it?" (Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993)
"It is a strange thing to be alive." (Richard Siken, Crush, 2005)
"There is nothing strange in the world if you know the laws of nature." (L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz, 1904)
"People are strange when you're a stranger." (The Doors, "People Are Strange", 1967)
Etymology
The word "strange" comes from a journey through different languages, much like a traveler arriving from a foreign land.
It originates from the Old French word "estrange," which meant "foreign," "outside," or "alien." This "estrange" itself came from the Latin word "extraneus," meaning "external," "foreign," or "a stranger."
So, at its very root, the word was about something that was outside of what was known or familiar.
The first known uses of "strange" in English, appearing around the late 12th or early 13th century, reflected this original meaning. It was primarily used to describe something or someone as:
Foreign or alien: Not from one's own country, town, or group. For example, a "strange land" would be a foreign country, and a "strange person" would be an outsider.
Unfamiliar or unknown: Something not previously encountered or recognized. If you saw a "strange animal," it meant you hadn't seen it before.
Over time, the meaning broadened from just "foreign" or "unknown" to also include the sense of "unusual," "peculiar," or "odd," which is how we often use it today. This shift reflects that things that are foreign or unknown often seem peculiar to us.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Strange
Here is a list of phrases and idioms using the word "strange":
Strange but true: Used to describe something unusual or unexpected that is nonetheless factual.
A strange turn of events: Refers to an unexpected and often perplexing development in a situation.
Strange bedfellows: Describes an alliance or pairing of people or things that are unlikely to be together, often due to differing interests or backgrounds.
To feel strange: To feel unwell, uncomfortable, or out of place.
No stranger to (something): To be very familiar with something, often something challenging or unpleasant.
Stranger things have happened: Said when something unusual or unexpected occurs, implying that even more surprising events are possible.
It's strange to think...: Used when contemplating an unusual or surprising idea.
Strange as it may seem/sound: Introduces a statement that might appear unusual or improbable but is being presented as true.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of strange from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
