Meaning & use
quirk
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Meanings
nouncountable
A peculiar habit or trait of a person that makes them different from others.
Grammar: Countable; usually singular with 'a', often with 'of': a quirk of his character.
Patterns
- a quirk of someone's personality
- a harmless quirk
- someone's little quirks
She has a quirk of alphabetizing every book on her shelf.
One of his quirks is that he always eats dessert first.
nouncountable
A strange or unexpected feature of a system, situation, or object.
Grammar: Countable; often used of machines, rules, or software: a quirk in the system.
Patterns
- a quirk of the system
- a quirk in the software
- a design quirk
A quirk in the tax law lets small studios claim the full deduction.
There's a quirk in the app that deletes drafts when you switch accounts.
nouncountablefigurative
A strange coincidence or unexpected turn of events, as in the phrase 'a quirk of fate'.
Grammar: Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'a quirk of fate'.
Patterns
- a quirk of fate
- by a quirk of fate
By a quirk of fate, the two rivals ended up sharing the same hotel floor.
A quirk of fate brought the lost letter back to her forty years later.
Word forms
| plural | quirks |
|---|
Common combinations
- a quirk of fate
- By a quirk of fate, he was offered his old job back on the day he retired.
- a quirk of personality
- Her habit of talking to houseplants is just a quirk of personality.
- a quirk in the system
- A quirk in the grading system let him skip the final exam.
Synonyms and how they differ
- peculiarity
- Slightly more neutral and formal; a peculiarity can be any unusual feature, while a quirk often sounds charming or odd.
- eccentricity
- Stronger than 'quirk': an eccentricity is a conspicuously unusual habit, often of an eccentric person.
- idiosyncrasy
- A formal word for a personal or system-specific oddity; 'quirk' is more common in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- quirky adjective
- Having odd or unusual habits or features, usually in a likeable way.
- quirkily adverb
- In an odd, unconventional way.
- quirkiness noun
- The quality of having strange or charming oddities.
Commonly confused: quirk or perk?
quirk vs perk
A 'perk' is a benefit or bonus, like free lunches at work; a 'quirk' is an odd habit or feature.
Practice
My grandfather has a funny _____ : he refuses to wear matching socks.
Choose one answer.
A 'quirk' is a peculiar personal habit, which fits refusing to match socks. A 'perk' is a benefit, a 'quota' is a fixed amount, and a 'quest' is a search — none describe a habit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quirk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.