DEVIANT Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

deviant 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdē-vē-ənt

Definition of deviant

as in abnormal

departing from some accepted standard of what is normal some studies show that many violent criminals begin exhibiting deviant behavior in early childhood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deviant

2 of 2

noun

as in maverick

a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs branded as social deviants by a society that did not value self-expression

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 deviant

Adjective

Most of all, the repercussions are felt by students, who receive a very clear message about which stories their community considers dirty or deviant. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026 According to Welner, fetal abduction is deviant behavior rather than a psychiatric condition. — Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026

Noun

White segregationists and liberals have outed Black people as deviant to maintain their claims to normalcy and socioeconomic dominance. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 Among them is a singer (Kiernan Shipka) making a living as an exotic dancer, who, after becoming Sheridan’s victim, joins them in their battle to rein in the young deviant. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 25 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deviant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviant

Adjective

Department staff searched for the otter to assess whether the animal was still in the area or displaying any abnormal or concerning behavior, Margiott said.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
An abnormal increase in a protein called sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1), which slows down placental growth, Kilpatrick says.

— Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of abnormal

Noun

Decades before all of that, though, Kusama was a creative maverick.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Put simply, Hanke sees Venezuela’s future as the world’s leading oil maverick that will go rogue if OPEC’s strictures prevent it from maximizing the worth of its sumptuous reserves.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of maverick

Noun

Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.

— Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of eccentric

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deviances

deviant

deviants

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“Deviant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviant. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deviant

adjective

noun

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