strange
gb/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/ us/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
A2
English
~ 1500
furcsa, szokatlan, idegen, ismeretlen, különös
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is strange
It felt strange to be back in my old school after so many years.
Furcsa érzés volt ennyi év után visszatérni a régi iskolámba.
There's a strange smell coming from the kitchen.
Furcsa szag jön a konyhából.
She gave me a strange look when I mentioned the trip.
The town seemed strange without its usual crowds.
I had a strange dream last night.
Learner examples
This food tastes strange.
Ennek az ételnek furcsa íze van.
He is a strange man.
Furcsa ember.
I heard a strange sound.
It is strange to see snow in summer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'strange' with 'foreign', but 'strange' focuses on unusualness, not nationality.
Meaning
Unusual or unexpected
Collocations
strange feeling
|strange noise
|strange behavior
|strange place
|strange look
Synonyms
unusual (More neutral; does not necessarily imply something odd or unsettling.)
|
odd (Often suggests something slightly weird or hard to explain.)
Antonyms
normal (Describes something that is usual and expected.)
|
ordinary (Suggests something common and unremarkable.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not usual or normal; surprising in some way.
Different from what is usual, normal, or expected, often in a way that attracts attention or curiosity.
B1
2
idegen
B1
ismeretlen
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is strange to [someone]
The customs of this country are strange to me.
Ennek az országnak a szokásai idegenek számomra.
Her face looked strange to him, as if he had never seen her before.
Az arca idegennek tűnt neki, mintha még sosem látta volna.
This software will seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it.
Learner examples
This game is strange to me.
Ez a játék idegen nekem.
The city is strange to her.
A város idegen számára.
That word is strange to us.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'strange' here when 'unfamiliar' would be more precise in formal writing.
Meaning
Unfamiliar or unknown
Collocations
strange to me
|strange land
|strange custom
Synonyms
unfamiliar (Neutral term for something not previously known or experienced.)
Antonyms
familiar (Known from prior experience.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not known before; new to you.
Not known or familiar to someone; seen, heard, or experienced for the first time.
A2
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] is strange
He's been acting very strange lately.
Mostanában nagyon furcsán viselkedik.
I find her a bit strange, but she's nice.
Kicsit furcsának találom, de kedves.
They thought it was strange that he never spoke about his family.
Learner examples
She is a strange woman.
Furcsa nő.
He acts strange sometimes.
Néha furcsán viselkedik.
My teacher is strange but kind.
Meaning
Unusual or puzzling behavior
Collocations
strange person
|strange behavior
Synonyms
weird (Informal and often stronger; can suggest something very odd.)
Antonyms
normal (Behaving in a usual way.)
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Acting in a way that is not normal and hard to understand.
Acting in a way that is unusual, puzzling, or hard to understand.
Grammar
Dictionary form
strange
IPA
GB/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
US/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
strange (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (strange)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: strange
- Comparative: stranger
- Superlative: strangest
Word family
Expressions
in a strange way
1/ˈɪn ə stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ wˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
In an unusual manner or reason
Used when something happens in a way that is not usual or expected.
Examples
- In a strange way, losing the job was the best thing for him.
- She felt happy, in a strange way, to be leaving.
strange but true
1/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ bˈʌt tɹˈu/
fixed phrase
Unusual yet factual
Used to say that something sounds unusual but is actually true.
Examples
- Strange but true: the small town has more cats than people.
- It's strange but true that she learned the language in just three months.
stranger than fiction
1/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒɚ ðən fˈɪkʃən/
idiom
more unbelievable than stories
Used to say that something real is very surprising or unusual, even more than a story someone could invent.
Examples
- The coincidence was stranger than fiction.
- The whole story of how they met is stranger than fiction.
- Some of the things that happen in politics are stranger than fiction.
- Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.
- His life has been stranger than fiction since he won the lottery.