oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
Definition of oddballnext
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits she's known as the office oddball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

oddball

2 of 2

adjective

as in bizarre

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oddball
Noun
No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 The Ramones stood on stage not as rock gods or unattainable heroes, but as oddballs, misfits, and fellow outcasts in torn jeans. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Adjective
Henry Winkler plays the oddball mayor, Lena Headey the town barkeep. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Running through Saturday, the 4th of July Tuna High School Class reunion takes over the third-tiniest town in Texas, bringing oddball humor and small-town satire into the spotlight. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball
  1. eccentric
  2. bizarre
  3. character
  4. unusual
  5. original
  6. kooky
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • But, pounded thin, breaded, and fried, served under lashings of sweet-sharp blackberry sauce, with a confetti of whole blackberries and leaves of mint, the lamb version was brilliant and bizarre, a symphony of strong-willed flavors.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • There was such a bizarre synergy between that film and being the same namesake as this doll.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Noun
  • Given how Wade is defined by his love of hallucinogenic mushrooms and off-roading in an ATV, the character is designed to be played big, and Heaton appears to be enjoying himself.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Fumero’s character, Teri, is a detective inspector for the New Jersey State Police.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • The team now points to interactions between manganese and ytterbium as a possible source of the unusual Hall response.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The unusual diplomatic rebuke underscored the mistrust between the two countries.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Noun
  • The original was super, super matte, and that just doesn’t work for my skin anymore.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Sirat producer Farré recently replaced José María Caro as originals chief.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • If this were a normal situation, these two kooky kids should have had these conversations before they got married.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Bob Mackie, the fashion designer whose visually provocative Hollywood style defined glamour for the 1970s -- including putting Carol Burnett in some of her kookiest getups and Cher in her raciest ones -- died Monday.
    — MARK KENNEDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of kooky

Browse Nearby Words

odd
oddball
oddballs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddball. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All