strange
gb/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/ us/stɹˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
A2
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Unusual or unexpected
Not usual or normal; surprising in some way.
Usage pattern:
[something] is strange
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'strange' with 'foreign', but 'strange' focuses on unusualness, not nationality.
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.)
Collocations
strange feeling
|strange noise
|strange behavior
|strange place
|strange look
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It felt strange to be back in my old school after so many years.
- There's a strange smell coming from the kitchen.
- 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.
- He is a strange man.
- I heard a strange sound.
- It is strange to see snow in summer.
adjective
B1
property
2
Unfamiliar or unknown
Not known before; new to you.
Usage pattern:
[something] is strange to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'strange' here when 'unfamiliar' would be more precise in formal writing.
Synonyms
unfamiliar (Neutral term for something not previously known or experienced.)
Antonyms
familiar (Known from prior experience.)
Collocations
strange to me
|strange land
|strange custom
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The customs of this country are strange to me.
- Her face looked strange to him, as if he had never seen her before.
- This software will seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it.
Learner examples
- This game is strange to me.
- The city is strange to her.
- That word is strange to us.
adjective
A2
property
3
Unusual or puzzling behavior
Acting in a way that is not normal and hard to understand.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is strange
Synonyms
weird (Informal and often stronger; can suggest something very odd.)
Antonyms
normal (Behaving in a usual way.)
Collocations
strange person
|strange behavior
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He's been acting very strange lately.
- I find her a bit strange, but she's nice.
- They thought it was strange that he never spoke about his family.
Learner examples
- She is a strange woman.
- He acts strange sometimes.
- My teacher is strange but kind.
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.