outlandish

outlandish
adjective
out·;land·;ish ;au;t-;lan-dish
Synonyms of outlandish
1
: of or relating to another country : foreign
saw many outlandish animals at the zoo
2
a
: strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre
an outlandish costume
Her book is filled with outlandish characters.
spun some outlandish tales
b
: exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards
… workers complain of outlandish hours …
—Joan E. Rigdon
outlandish government specifications
3
: remote from civilization
… no other young men foolish enough to offer to go to such an outlandish station.
—Geog. Jour.
outlandishly adverb
outlandishness noun


Did you know?
For some, the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence—it may also be very, very strange. The side-eye that skeptical sorts cast toward visitors from parts yonder is embedded in the history of the ancient word outlandish. In Old English someone described as “outlandish” came from an outland, i.e., a foreign land. Within a few hundred years, outlandish had broadened in use to describe anything unfamiliar or strange. It’s now commonly applied to things—especially things people do, wear, or say—that are strikingly out of the ordinary, or even just too-too—that is, too far beyond reasonable or proper limits or standards. But lest you mistake us for equating outlandish with wrong or bad, heed the words of Tony Stark (as played by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man) when addressing speculation that he is secretly a superhero: “That would be outlandish… and fantastic.”

Synonyms of outlandish
Relevance
bizarre
strange
funny
weird
odd
erratic
peculiar
curious
eccentric
remarkable
crazy
unusual
Choose the Right Synonym for outlandish

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected.

strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights
singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster
unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science
peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's First Lady
eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers
erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior
odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor
quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village
outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time
Examples of outlandish in a Sentence
She fills her books with outlandish characters.
The actress wore an outlandish dress to the awards ceremony.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the most part, The Gift is caught between being a straightforward mystery and a more outlandish genre romp about a lady with ESP.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
This is spicing up the genre of outlandish prank videos, which lost their appeal as many channels staged their exploits.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
The jury deliberated briefly on Tuesday in the case of Barnett, who is accused of paying Thomas over $40,000 cash in an outlandish scheme detailed by prosecutors over three weeks of testimony.
—Sydney Pereira, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Goldsmith-Vein and longtime producing partner Eric Robinson are developing the story as a feature, and see it as blending high legal drama, personal excess and outlandish real-life stakes.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outlandish was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century