C1adjective 2K

Bizarre

UK /["/bɪˈzɑː(r)/"]/ US /["/bɪˈzɑːr/"]/ Pronunciation

Definition

very strange or unusual

Listen to definition

In simple words: Very strange or unusual.

Examples

• a bizarre situation/incident/story
• bizarre behaviour
• He made some totally bizarre comments.
• He walked off in a most bizarre fashion.
• I found the whole situation very bizarre.
• It's a pretty bizarre film.

Usage notes

Use 'bizarre' to describe things that are very odd or out of the ordinary. It's neutral, so it's appropriate in most contexts but may sound less formal in academic or serious writing.

Grammar pattern

bizarre + noun

Memory hint

Sounds like 'bizarre' — imagine a bizarre carnival with weird clowns and odd rides.

Collocations

• be
• look
• seem
• extremely
• fairly
• very

Synonyms

• weird

Antonyms

• normal
• usual
• common

Common mistakes

• Confused with 'peculiar' — both mean strange, but 'peculiar' can imply a sense of uniqueness.
• Using 'bizarre' to describe regular events, it should be reserved for things that are unusually strange.
• Spelling mistakes like 'bizzarre' instead of 'bizarre'.