oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
Definition of oddballnext
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits she's known as the office oddball

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

oddball

2 of 2

adjective

as in bizarre

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oddball
Noun
Black Rock Coalition bands like funk-metal group 24-7 Spyz and shoegaze oddballs the Veldt—particularly when the Veldt’s murkiness resolves into a major-key chorus. — Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026 His trilogy is, likewise, a straphangers’ gallery of metropolitan oddballs, from Zippo, a pyromaniac turned blaxploitation filmmaker, to Uncle Rich, a master criminal who stages a daring raid on the Waldorf-Astoria from a disused train tunnel with the help of a homeless army. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Adjective
But the confidence of this hard pivot and the thrillingly oddball noise construction absolutely hail from the same world as QT and SOPHIE’s exquisitely abrasive 2015 compilation, Product. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 July 2026 These oddball explosions can help test and refine astronomers’ ideas about how exactly supernovae occur and evolve over time, among other things. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball
  1. eccentric
  2. bizarre
  3. character
  4. unusual
  5. original
  6. kooky
Noun
  • With its loose ends and digressions, Dream Me a Dream stays true to those idiosyncratic instincts while retaining enough of the welcoming glow of Dance of Love to make this an affecting farewell from an endearing eccentric.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
  • The eccentric cuz is quick to try and help Bobby solve problems, which often gets him into trouble, but ultimately pushes him out of his shell.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • Years earlier at her former lab in Ohio, chromosomes in mouse eggs and embryos began dividing in bizarre ways, creating the kinds of genetic errors that can lead to Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Her videos were outrageous and conspiratorial, and the more elaborate and bizarre her stories became, the more people online were drawn to her.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Noun
  • What sprang up there was this soulless bowl, totally lacking in the character and atmosphere of the club’s old Elm Park home.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • My issue isn’t with the fact the show is suddenly adding characters who aren’t in the book but with the whiplash from the dramatic vibe shift.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • The conflict played out under the watchful eye of Johnson’s senior adviser, Jason Lee — an unusual involvement for a high-ranking mayoral staffer, given that the $8 million grant is administered by a separate department.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Guerrero’s struggles have been particularly noticeable, creating an unusual disconnect between his superstar status and his production.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of unusual
Noun
  • The wellness clinic opened a little over two years ago as a sister to the original near Benidorm on Spain’s Costa Blanca.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And Fightland, which was released last week, had the second-best debut of any Starz original.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • The actor debuted a promotional photo shoot in support of his new movie Digger that gives a closer look at his kooky oil tycoon character from Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s upcoming satire.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • The film premieres in theaters on June 26, and the story follows a couple (Wilde and Rogen) who invite their slightly kooky, yet very endearing neighbors (Cruz and Norton) over for a dinner that quickly dissolves into chaos.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 25 June 2026
Definition of kooky

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Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddball. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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