bizarre
bih-ZAH
Bizarre (adj) means Strikingly odd or unconventional, well outside normal experience. Example: “The film had such a bizarre ending that nobody in the cinema spoke.”
adj
1
Strikingly odd or unconventional, well outside normal experience.
"The film had such a bizarre ending that nobody in the cinema spoke."
"They told a bizarre story about lights in the sky."
"It was bizarre how quickly the whole town emptied out."
How to use bizarre
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo strange or unusual that it stands out from anything normal.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a bizarre coincidence
bizarre behavior
utterly bizarre
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Word forms
- Plural
- bizarres
- Comparative
- more bizarre, bizarrer
- Superlative
- most bizarre, bizarrest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The film had such a _____ ending that nobody in the cinema spoke.
Etymology
Borrowed from French bizarre ("odd, peculiar"), which most likely came from Italian bizzarro ("eccentric, frisky").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for bizarre
See all rhymes for bizarre →Frequently asked questions
What does “bizarre” mean?
The word “bizarre” means strikingly odd or unconventional, well outside normal experience. In plain terms, so strange or unusual that it stands out from anything normal.
How do you pronounce “bizarre”?
“Bizarre” is pronounced bih-ZAH (/bɪˈzɑː(ɹ)/ in IPA).
How do you use “bizarre” in a sentence?
Here is “bizarre” used in a sentence: “They told a bizarre story about lights in the sky.”
What part of speech is “bizarre”?
“Bizarre” is an adjective.
Where does the word “bizarre” come from?
The word “bizarre” comes from French. Borrowed from French bizarre ("odd, peculiar"), which most likely came from Italian bizzarro ("eccentric, frisky").
Is “bizarre” a common word?
“Bizarre” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between bizarre and weird?
Bizarre is the stronger, more emphatic word: it describes something strikingly odd or unconventional, well outside normal experience. Weird is the everyday, milder word for anything strange or unusual. A late bus might be weird; a bus painted to look like a giant fish is bizarre.
What is the difference between bizarre and bazaar?
Bizarre, with one z and a double r, is an adjective meaning strikingly odd or unconventional. Bazaar, with a double a in the middle, is a noun for a market or a fundraising sale. They sound alike but are unrelated in meaning.
How do you spell bizarre — bizarre or bizzare?
The correct spelling is bizarre: one z followed by a double r. "Bizzare" is a very common misspelling that doubles the wrong letter.
Is bizarre formal or informal?
Bizarre is neutral in register and appears comfortably in both conversation and formal writing, including news reporting and academic prose. Because it is stronger than strange or odd, careful writers reserve it for genuinely extreme cases.
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