outlandish

adjective

out·​land·​ish ˌau̇t-ˈlan-dish How to pronounce outlandish (audio)
1
: of or relating to another country : foreign
saw many outlandish animals at the zoo
2
a
: 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 hoursJoan E. Rigdon
outlandish government specifications
3
: remote from civilization
no other young men foolish enough to offer to go to such an outlandish stationGeog. Jour.
outlandishly adverb
outlandishness noun

Did you know?

For some, the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence—it may also be very, very strange. The side-eye that skeptical sorts cast toward visitors from parts yonder is embedded in the history of the ancient word outlandish. In Old English someone described as “outlandish” came from an outland, i.e., a foreign land. Within a few hundred years, outlandish had broadened in use to describe anything unfamiliar or strange. It’s now commonly applied to things—especially things people do, wear, or say—that are strikingly out of the ordinary, or even just too-too—that is, too far beyond reasonable or proper limits or standards. But lest you mistake us for equating outlandish with wrong or bad, heed the words of Tony Stark (as played by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man) when addressing speculation that he is secretly a superhero: “That would be outlandish… and fantastic.”

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

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 His demands were so outlandish that Washington’s elite class of Republican lawyers suddenly became unavailable to the president of the United States. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The documentary also revived some of the more outlandish theories about what happened to the plane. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 To get a foldable phone down to a price that does not seem outlandish means the focus and budget that goes on the display needs to come from somewhere else. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 And, because this is Trump, there are other outlandish claims thrown into his court filings. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 The text-generating capabilities of Gemini also came under scrutiny after several outlandish responses went viral online. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024 Styles that denotes gang affiliation is one, outlandish hairstyles that could cause disruption is perhaps another. Nick Morrison, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The Florida Games reads like an idea for a Carl Hiaasen novel rejected by the publisher as too outlandish. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 At a press conference held Wednesday in New York, two former members of the slain icon’s security detail delivered statements saying undercover New York police officer Robert Wood lured them into discussion of an outlandish plan to destroy national monuments, including the Statue of Liberty. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outlandish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of outlandish was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near outlandish

Cite this Entry

“Outlandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlandish. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

outlandish

adjective
out·​land·​ish (ˈ)au̇t-ˈlan-dish How to pronounce outlandish (audio)
: of strange appearance or manner : bizarre
an outlandish costume
outlandishly adverb
outlandishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on outlandish

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