unusually
gb/ʌnjˈuʒəli/ us/ʌnjˈuʒəli/
B2
English
~ 6500
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
to a degree not typical
More (or less) than is normal or usual.
Usage pattern:
unusually [adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "unusually" with "usually" (which means "in most cases"). For example, "He is usually tall" is incorrect; it should be "He is unusually tall" to mean more tall than normal. Another mistake is putting it in the wrong place in the sentence, such as "He unusually is tall"; the natural order is "He is unusually tall." Learners may also overuse "very" and avoid "unusually", even when they want to show that something is more than just "very" and also surprising for that situation.
Synonyms
exceptionally (Stronger and slightly more formal; often used for very positive or negative extremes.)
|
particularly (Focuses on one special case; does not always suggest surprise as strongly as "unusually".)
Antonyms
normally (Describes the usual or expected degree, without anything special.)
|
typically (Emphasizes what is standard or characteristic, the opposite of being out of the ordinary.)
Collocations
unusually high
|unusually low
|unusually large
|unusually quiet
|unusually warm
|unusually strong
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Temperatures were unusually high for October.
- She was unusually quiet during the meeting.
- The test was unusually difficult this year.
- There was an unusually large number of people at the concert.
- Sales have been unusually strong since the new product launched.
Learner examples
- It is unusually cold today.
- He is unusually tall for his age.
- The street is unusually empty tonight.
- The movie was unusually long.
adverb
C1
property
2
in a strange or rare way
In a way that is not normal for that person or thing.
Usage pattern:
[someone] behaves/acts unusually
Common mistake:
Learners may not see the difference between using "unusually" for degree ("She is unusually quiet" = more quiet than normal) and for manner ("She is behaving unusually" = her behavior is not normal for her). They may also use stronger words like "weirdly" when the speaker only wants to say something is slightly out of character, where "unusually" would be more neutral.
Synonyms
strangely (Stronger feeling of something being odd or hard to explain.)
|
oddly (Similar meaning, with a slightly more informal tone and a focus on how odd the behavior seems.)
Antonyms
normally (Describes behavior that is expected or typical for that person.)
|
as usual (A set phrase meaning "in the normal way", the opposite of acting in an uncharacteristic way.)
Collocations
behave unusually
|act unusually
|unusually for him
|unusually for her
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He is acting unusually today; he keeps checking his phone and looking around.
- Unusually for her, Maria left the party early without saying goodbye.
- The dog is behaving unusually, hiding under the table and shaking.
- The engine sounds unusually, so we should get it checked.
- The children were sitting unusually still, which made the teacher worry.
Learner examples
- She is acting unusually today.
- Unusually for him, he came late to work.
- The child is behaving unusually in class.
- The machine is working unusually, and it makes a strange noise.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unusually
IPA
GB/ʌnjˈuʒəli/
US/ʌnjˈuʒəli/
Syllables & stress
un - usu - ally (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (usu)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: unusually
- Plural: unusuallies
Word family
Expressions
not unusually
1/nˈɑt ʌnjˈuʒəli/
fixed phrase
formal
not surprising or special
Used to say that something is normal or common and should not surprise us.
Examples
- Not unusually, the train was ten minutes late.
- Such mistakes, not unusually, appear in the first version of the report.
unusually for [someone/something]
1/ʌnjˈuʒəli fɚ sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
not typical for someone or something
Used to say that something is not normal for that person, place, or thing.
Examples
- Unusually for him, Mark didn’t make any jokes during lunch.
- The city was quiet, unusually for a Friday night.
- Unusually for this time of year, there were no tourists on the beach.