strange

The word “strange” means unusual, odd, or surprising, and not what you would expect. In plain terms, odd, unfamiliar, or hard to explain.

“Strange” is pronounced straynj (/stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/ in IPA).

Here is “strange” used in a sentence: “There was a strange smell coming from the basement.”

Words with a similar meaning to “strange” include aberrant, abnormal, alien, anomalous, as queer as Dick's hatband and bizarre.

The opposite of “strange” — its antonyms — are common, familiar, inevitable, intermediate and moderate.

“Strange” is an adjective.

The word “strange” comes from Latin. From Old French "estrange," from Latin "extraneus" ("that which is on the outside") — the same root as "extraneous" and "estrange.".

“Strange” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

The two are close, and often interchangeable, but weird tends to feel stronger and more unsettling. Strange simply means unusual or unexpected, and can be quite mild — a strange noise, a strange coincidence. Weird often adds a sense of the eerie or downright bizarre. All weird things are strange, but not all strange things are weird.

The usual opposites are normal, ordinary and familiar. Something that behaves exactly as expected is unremarkable or typical, while a person or place you know well feels familiar rather than strange. Which antonym fits depends on the sense: 'normal' counters oddness, while 'familiar' counters the feeling of something being unknown.

Not necessarily. Strange is largely neutral and simply marks something as unusual or unexpected. Tone and context decide its colour: a 'strange feeling' can be unsettling, yet 'strangely beautiful' is a compliment. It can signal mild unease, curiosity or even wonder, so whether it feels negative depends entirely on how it is used.