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outlandish

adjective
out·​land·​ish | \ ˌau̇t-ˈlan-dish How to pronounce outlandish (audio) \

Definition of outlandish

1 : of or relating to another country : foreign saw many outlandish animals at the zoo
2a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre an outlandish costume Her book is filled with outlandish characters. spun some outlandish tales
b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards workers complain of outlandish hours— Joan E. Rigdon outlandish government specifications
3 : remote from civilization no other young men foolish enough to offer to go to such an outlandish station — Geog. Jour.
Other Words from outlandish Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about outlandish

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Other Words from outlandish

outlandishly adverb
outlandishness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for outlandish

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected. strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. a journey filled with strange sights singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. a singular feeling of impending disaster unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. a career unique in the annals of science peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. the peculiar status of America's first lady eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. a friend's suddenly erratic behavior odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. an odd sense of humor quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. a quaint fishing village outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. outlandish fashions of the time

Did You Know?

In olden times, English speakers used the phrase outlandish man to refer to a foreigner - or, one who came from an outland, which originally meant "a foreign land." From here, outlandish broadened in usage from a word meaning "from another land" to one describing something unfamiliar or strange. Dress was a common early target for the adjective - Henry Fielding, in Tom Jones (1749), writes of a woman who was drest in one of your outlandish Garments. Nowadays, the word can be applied to anything that strikes us as out of the ordinary, as in the description of one man’s outlandish proposal to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge with a seven-mile tunnel, from the New York Times, September 16, 2001.

Examples of outlandish in a Sentence

She fills her books with outlandish characters. The actress wore an outlandish dress to the awards ceremony.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Our most popular pop has become delightfully outlandish and impossible to predict — two things Taylor Swift has never been. — Chris Richards, Washington Post, "Taylor Swift keeps getting older without growing up," 27 Aug. 2019 Cardi B is known for her outlandish manicures, but the Press rapper toned down her nails Monday night for the MTV Video Music Awards. — Jennifer Ford, Essence, "Here's How To Get Cardi B's VMA Nails," 27 Aug. 2019 Even without evidence for such outlandish scenarios, finding a reliable estimate of neutrino mass would push physics in a new direction. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, "Mysterious Neutrinos Get New Mass Estimate," 26 Aug. 2019 But the deepest parts of the ocean are actually rife with outlandish lifeforms. — Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "NASA eyes the ocean: How the deep sea could unlock outer space," 23 Aug. 2019 The top movies of all time are almost exclusively American and disproportionately feature men and women in outlandish costumes wielding freakish powers. — David French, National Review, "Why I Love Superhero Movies," 22 Aug. 2019 The outlandish collection is just one part, however, of what has become a stranger-than-fiction narrative that followed Epstein through life and now hovers over his death. — Fox News, "Bill Clinton painting in Jeffrey Epstein's home a 'surprise' to woman who painted president wearing blue dress," 16 Aug. 2019 The Spectacle prides itself on taking deep dives into obscure horror for its out-there monthly programming, so expect to see an outlandish film that probably took a time machine from a 1980s bargain bin. — New York Times, "Summer Chills: A Horror Fan’s Guide to What to Watch Right Now," 15 Aug. 2019 The novel turns from humorous and outlandish to controlled and commanding as Janina methodically ties the victims’ horoscopes to their brutal deaths. — Annabel Gutterman, Time, "Horoscopes Help Solve Homicides in a Thrilling Murder Mystery," 15 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outlandish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of outlandish

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for outlandish

outlandish

adjective
How to pronounce outlandish (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of outlandish

: very strange or unusual : extremely different from what is normal or expected

See the full definition for outlandish in the English Language Learners Dictionary

outlandish

adjective

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