unusual
gb/ʌnjˈuʒuəl/ us/ʌnjˈuʒuəl/
B1
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Not common or typical
Not common or normal; different from most things.
Usage pattern:
[something] is unusual
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'unusual' with 'strange'. While both can mean different from normal, 'strange' often suggests something odd or hard to understand, whereas 'unusual' can be neutral or even positive.
Synonyms
rare (Emphasizes low frequency or occurrence.)
|
atypical (More formal or technical; stresses deviation from a norm.)
Antonyms
usual (Describes something that happens regularly or is expected.)
|
common (Suggests something happens often or is widespread.)
Collocations
highly unusual
|quite unusual
|rather unusual
|find unusual
Themes
daily life
|description
|comparison
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It's unusual to see snow here in April.
- She has an unusual way of solving problems.
- The painting's colors are quite unusual for that period.
- He wore an unusual hat to the party.
- The sudden silence was unusual in such a busy place.
Learner examples
- It is unusual to see cats in this park.
- The food has an unusual taste.
- This dress is unusual for her.
- He has an unusual job.
- That bird looks unusual.
Grammar
Expressions
highly unusual
1/hˈaɪli ʌnjˈuʒuəl/
fixed phrase
Very uncommon or unexpected
Used to say that something is very different from normal.
Examples
- It’s highly unusual for her to be late.
- The results were highly unusual compared to last year.
nothing unusual
1/nˈʌθɪŋ ʌnjˈuʒuəl/
fixed phrase
Nothing uncommon or unexpected
Used to say that something is normal or not surprising.
Examples
- There was nothing unusual about his behavior.
- I checked the report and found nothing unusual.
nothing out of the ordinary
1/nˈʌθɪŋ ˈaʊt əv ðə ˈɔɹdɪnˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
No difference from usual
Used to say that everything is normal.
Examples
- I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
- The day went by with nothing out of the ordinary happening.
nothing out of the ordinary
2/nˈʌθɪŋ ˈaʊt əv ðə ˈɔɹdɪnˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
Completely usual or normal situation
Nothing different from what is normal or expected.
Examples
- We checked the house but found nothing out of the ordinary.
- His report contained nothing out of the ordinary.