Meaning & use
outlandish
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
So unusual or extreme that it seems odd, hard to take seriously or out of place.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a verb: an outlandish claim; the story sounds outlandish.
Patterns
- an outlandish idea
- sound outlandish
He made an outlandish claim that he had seen a dragon.
The singer showed up in an outlandish costume covered in feathers.
The idea of paying a thousand dollars for a sandwich seemed outlandish.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Costing far more than seems reasonable; used about prices or demands.
Grammar: In this sense it is used mostly for money-related nouns: outlandish prices.
Patterns
- outlandish prices
- an outlandish demand
The hotel charged outlandish prices for a bottle of water.
The agent made outlandish demands on behalf of the actor.
Nobody could afford the outlandish rent on the harbor.
Word forms
| comparative | more outlandish |
|---|---|
| superlative | most outlandish |
Common combinations
- outlandish claim
- The website made an outlandish claim about curing every disease.
- outlandish costume
- She loved dressing in an outlandish costume at the festival.
- outlandish theory
- His outlandish theory about the moon landing found few supporters.
- seem outlandish
- The plan may seem outlandish, but it could work.
- outlandish behavior
- The star's outlandish behavior filled the tabloids.
- outlandish prices
- Tourists complained about the outlandish prices near the beach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bizarre
- Bizarre stresses that something is strange and hard to explain, while outlandish suggests it is also extreme or exaggerated.
- far-fetched
- Far-fetched is used for ideas or stories that are hard to believe, but not for clothes or prices.
- eccentric
- Eccentric describes someone or something pleasantly odd and often charming, whereas outlandish is more over the top.
- extravagant
- Extravagant focuses on excess in spending or style, while outlandish is mainly about being strange.
Opposites
Word family
- outlandishly adverb
- in an extremely strange or exaggerated way
- outlandishness noun
- the quality of being outlandish
- outland noun
- a foreign or remote land, the old root of the word
Commonly confused: outlandish or foreign?
outlandish vs foreign
Do not confuse outlandish with foreign; although it once meant 'from another land', today it means very strange.
Practice
Which situation would you describe as outlandish?
Choose one answer.
Outlandish describes something strikingly strange or extreme. The other options are completely ordinary.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “outlandish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.