What does weird mean?
Weird means unusual, strange, puzzling, or outside ordinary conventions. Its applications range from the merely curious to the eerie: a design may be weird because it is unexpectedly unconventional, while a coincidence may seem weird because it appears too improbable. In informal speech, the word can also act as an intensifier, as in “totally weird,” without substantially changing its basic meaning. Because weird is often associated with things that are difficult to explain or categorize, it may suggest surprise, curiosity, amusement, discomfort, or even fear. The adjective is by far the word’s dominant modern use, but weird also occurs informally as an adverb, as a noun meaning an eccentric person, and as a verb meaning to behave strangely or unsettle someone. The word is especially useful when ordinary words such as “strange” do not fully capture how unconventional, uncanny, or memorable something seems.
Unusual, strange, or contrary to ordinary conventions; sometimes suggestive of the eerie or supernatural.
"He heard a weird noise coming from the empty room."
The most common part of speech. In informal contexts it may simply mean “very strange” or serve as an emphatic modifier.
In a strange or unusual manner; sometimes as an informal intensifier meaning extremely or very strangely.
"The landscape looked weirdly familiar."
Less formal than the adjective and especially common in everyday speech.
An eccentric, unusual, or unconventional person.
"I thought the new neighbor was a bit of a weird."
Informal and less common than the adjective; “weirdo” is a more explicitly person-focused synonym.
To behave in a strange or eccentric way; in the phrase “weird out,” to cause someone to feel confused or unsettled.
"The strange symbols on the screen weirded us out."
Informal. The transitive sense is especially associated with the phrasal verb “weird out.”
Rare and informal, used only for the noun meaning eccentric people.
"The two weirds shared an apartment above the bakery."
Weird began with a very different idea: not “strange,” but fate—the very notion of destiny that makes strange turns of events feel uncanny.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does weird come from?
The adjective developed in early modern English from Old English wyrd, meaning “fate” or “destiny,” through older senses associated with events beyond ordinary control and with the uncanny. Its relatives include Scots werd and, at a deeper Germanic level, world, all linked historically to the Indo-European root associated with turning and the course of events. The semantic movement from the fateful or supernatural toward the broad modern sense of “strange” reflects the word’s long development.
Related word forms
How weird is actually used
Weird is informal to informal-neutral and can sound dismissive, admiring, amused, or unsettling depending on context. It is common in both British and American English, although the usual British pronunciation links the vowel and final consonant more smoothly, while the American pronunciation is commonly rhotic.
Easily confused with weird
Weird is primarily an adjective describing something as strange or unusual, whereas a weirdo is an informal noun for an eccentric person.