Meaning & use
weird
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformal
Different from what is normal or expected in a way that is odd or a little unsettling.
Grammar: Comparable: weirder, weirdest; can come before a noun or after a verb: a weird noise, the noise was weird.
Patterns
- weird about something
- it's weird that something
I heard a weird noise coming from the attic.
It's weird that she didn't answer any of my messages.
He has a weird habit of eating cereal at midnight.
adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving
Of a person, odd in behavior or appearance so that others find them hard to understand.
Grammar: Often used as a mild criticism, so be careful with people.
Patterns
- a weird person
- get weird
Some classmates thought he was weird because he collected insects.
Things got weird when the host started singing.
Don't be weird about it; just ask her.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Strange in a mysterious or supernatural way.
Grammar: Goes before the noun and has a slightly old-fashioned, literary tone.
Patterns
- a weird light
A weird glow rose above the marsh.
The old tale told of a weird sound in the forest.
They shuddered at the weird cry of the owl.
Word forms
| comparative | weirder |
|---|---|
| superlative | weirdest |
Common combinations
- weird and wonderful
- The market sells all sorts of weird and wonderful gadgets.
- feel weird
- It feels weird to be back in my old school.
- a weird coincidence
- It was a weird coincidence that we both chose the same dress.
- weird dream
- I had a weird dream about flying fish.
- weirdly enough
- Weirdly enough, the house felt familiar.
Synonyms and how they differ
- strange
- Strange is more neutral and works in formal writing, while weird is more casual.
- bizarre
- Bizarre is stronger than weird and suggests something extremely unusual or hard to believe.
- odd
- Odd is milder and often means just a bit unusual, with less unease than weird.
- peculiar
- Peculiar is more formal and often means distinctive or particular to something.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: weird or wired? weird or we're?
weird vs wired
Wired sounds close to weird but means connected by wires or very energetic and tense.
weird vs we're
We're is a contraction of we are and is often mixed up in spelling with weird, which breaks the usual 'i before e' rule.
Practice
Which spelling is correct?
Choose one answer.
Weird is an exception to the 'i before e' rule, so it is spelled with e before i. The other spellings are common mistakes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “weird”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.