Odd — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective interjection abbreviation /ˈäd/

Meaning & Definition of Odd

Odd (adjective)

  1. differing markedly from the usual, ordinary, or accepted, peculiar
  2. not regular, expected, or planned
  3. encountered or experienced from time to time, occasional

Odd (interjection)

  1. —used as a mild oath

Odd (abbreviation)

  1. oppositional defiant disorder

Odd (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being one of a pair or set without a corresponding mate

    "somehow, there's always at least one odd sock that comes out of the dryer"

    similar: unmatched, unpaired
    related: alone, lone, only, single, singular, sole, solitary
    opposite: matched, paired

  2. different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

    "odd behavior that prompted one of the waiting passengers to alert airport security"

    similar: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, offbeat, off-kilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum (chiefly British), screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, weirdo, wild
    related: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky, extraordinary, fantastic, freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, phenomenal, atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
    near: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

  3. being out of the ordinary

    "the only odd grade for the exam was the one perfect score"

    similar: aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, exceptional, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted
    related: conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, salient, striking, bizarre, deviant, eccentric, freakish, monstrous, oddball, outlandish, quaint, strange, weird, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unimaginable, unthinkable
    opposite: common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual
    near: everyday, familiar, frequent

  4. noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced

    "the odd occurrences in the area attracted the attention of people interested in psychic phenomena"

    similar: curious, extraordinary, funny, offbeat, out-of-the-way, peculiar, queer, rare, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, weird
    related: bizarre, eccentric, far-out, kooky, oddball, outlandish, outré, way-out, aberrant, abnormal, atypical, exceptional, irregular, newsworthy, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, particular, remarkable, special
    opposite: common, ordinary, plain, usual
    near: unexceptional, expected, predictable, familiar, normal, regular, typical

  5. not often occurring or repeated

    "with the exception of the odd sick day, he never takes time off from work"

    similar: infrequent, isolated, occasional, rare, sporadic, few and far between
    related: scarce, scattered, uncommon, unique, unusual, choppy, discontinuous, erratic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, spasmodic, spotty, unsteady
    opposite: frequent
    near: daily, regular, common, ordinary, routine

Related Entry: Odd duck (phrase)

Odd duck is a different word from Odd. The synonyms below are for odd duck, not for odd.

  1. a person of odd or whimsical habits

    "That old man's an odd duck who keeps his extravagant holiday lighting display up all year long."

    similar: character, codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter (British slang), oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany, piece of work
    related: bohemian, maverick, nonconformist, quixote, coot, geezer, curio, rarity, freak, fantast, fantastico
    near: conformer, conformist, follower, sheep

Related Entry: Odd ducks (phrase)

Odd ducks is a different word from Odd. The synonyms below are for odd ducks, not for odd.

  1. a person of odd or whimsical habits

    "That old man's an odd duck who keeps his extravagant holiday lighting display up all year long."

    similar: characters, codgers, crackbrains, crackpots, cracks, cranks, eccentrics, flakes, fruitcakes, head cases, kooks, nutcases, nuts, nutters (British slang), oddballs, oddities, originals, quizzes, screwballs, weirdos, zanies, pieces of work
    related: bohemians, mavericks, nonconformists, quixotes, coots, geezers, curios, rarities, freaks, fantasticoes, fantasts
    near: conformers, conformists, followers, sheep

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Odd

The most common words with a similar meaning to Odd:

Chiefly British: rum
unmatched, unpaired, bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, offbeat, off-kilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, weirdo, wild, aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Odd

Words with the opposite meaning of Odd:

matched, paired, common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual, plain, frequent

Related Words for Odd

alone, lone, only, single, sole, solitary, addlepated, flaky, fantastic, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling

Near Antonyms of Odd

average, commonplace, everyday, garden, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, unremarkable, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, habitual, regular, wonted, daily

Word Forms of Odd

Inflections: odder, oddest

Derived words: oddness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Odd

Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi point of land, triangle, odd number; akin to Old English ord point of a weapon

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Odd

Words & Phrases Containing Odd

odd duck, Odd Fellow, odd lot, odd man out, odd permutation, odd-pinnate

Frequently Asked Questions about Odd

What does "Odd" mean?

"Odd" means differing markedly from the usual, ordinary, or accepted, peculiar. As an an adjective, an interjection and an abbreviation, it is defined as: differing markedly from the usual, ordinary, or accepted, peculiar. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Odd"?

Other words for "Odd" include unmatched, unpaired, bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious and eccentric. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Odd" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Odd"?

There are 118 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Odd". Common alternatives include unmatched, unpaired, bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic and far-out.

What is the opposite of "Odd"?

Antonyms of "Odd" include matched, paired, common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical and unexceptional. Near antonyms include average, commonplace, everyday and garden.

How do you use "Odd" in a sentence?

Examples of "Odd" in a sentence: "somehow, there's always at least one odd sock that comes out of the dryer"; "odd behavior that prompted one of the waiting passengers to alert airport security"; "the only odd grade for the exam was the one perfect score".

Is "Odd" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Odd" can be used as an adjective, an interjection and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

Is "Odd" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Odd" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Odd"?

"Odd" is pronounced /ˈäd/.