Meaning & use
unusual person
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
A person who is different from most others in an interesting or noticeable way.
Grammar: Countable; you can say an unusual person or unusual people.
Patterns
- an unusual person
- a very unusual person
- unusual people
My grandfather was an unusual person; he collected old maps and spoke five languages.
She is an unusual person in a family of doctors because she became a musician.
The village was known for its unusual people and their strange customs.
phrasecountabledisapproving
Someone whose behavior or appearance is strange or not socially typical.
Grammar: Often used with a slightly negative or critical tone, depending on context.
Patterns
- a rather unusual person
- considered an unusual person
He was considered an unusual person because he rarely spoke to anyone.
People thought she was an unusual person for wearing winter coats in summer.
Common combinations
- a very unusual person
- She is a very unusual person who never follows the crowd.
- an unusual person indeed
- He was an unusual person indeed, with a pet parrot on his shoulder.
- meet an unusual person
- You meet an unusual person every time you travel.
- unusual person for
- He is an unusual person for this kind of job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eccentric
- Eccentric is stronger and often suggests odd or unconventional behavior; unusual person is more neutral and general.
- oddball
- Oddball is informal and can be unkind; unusual person is a safer, more neutral phrase.
- individualist
- Individualist emphasizes independence and doing things your own way, while unusual person simply means different from most.
Opposites
Commonly confused: unusual person or unique person?
unusual person vs unique person
Unique means the only one of its kind, which is a very strong claim; unusual means simply not common, so it is less absolute.
Practice
Which sentence uses unusual person naturally?
Choose one answer.
Collecting antique clocks is a distinctive hobby, so unusual person fits. Option 1 is wrong because being like everyone else is not unusual. Option 2 is wrong because having two eyes is normal. Option 3 is wrong because the plural of person in this phrase is usually people, not persons.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unusual person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.