ODDBALL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

oddball 1 of 2

noun

ˈäd-ˌbȯl

Definition of oddball

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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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

Link shifts from a charming oddball as Whatsit to a sinister figure on the planet of Camazotz. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 This made him, along with Córdoba, his doctoral adviser, an oddball in the area. — Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Henry Winkler plays the oddball mayor, Lena Headey the town barkeep. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Running through Saturday, the 4th of July Tuna High School Class reunion takes over the third-tiniest town in Texas, bringing oddball humor and small-town satire into the spotlight. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddball

Noun

Janney’s Silda, the wisecracking eccentric with an ax to grind, is the live wire of the company.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of eccentric

Adjective

But at the center of this story is a man named Michael Organ who turns out to be a bizarre, seemingly dangerous conman.

— Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Aside from spreading fear and anxiety through the agricultural labor force — which might be the point, if the hope is many will self-deport — the surge is having some other bizarre and probably unintended consequences.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of bizarre

Noun

Earlier versions looked unnaturally green, while the team also considered how the character’s skin would react to different lighting.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Coleman said each design has its own distinct character and can be styled individually, either as a subtle everyday detail or a sculptural statement.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of character

Adjective

Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
While his neighbors weren’t alarmed enough by the unusual sight to call security, Abrams wasn’t as lucky during filming at Radford Studios in Studio City.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of unusual

Noun

Another 24 new releases are lined up for the rest of the year; most of them originals (20) followed by new seasons (3) and a saga.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
According to the brand, the casks are rotated while aging to encourage interaction between liquid and wood, and like the original the gin spent 71 nights maturing.

— Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of original

Adjective

While Boyle’s Bankman-Fried seems a little more grounded than his real-life counterpart, Garner’s high-wire swing as Ellison is mesmerizing — her kookiest turn yet in a career of big swings.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
Bob Mackie, the fashion designer whose visually provocative Hollywood style defined glamour for the 1970s -- including putting Carol Burnett in some of her kookiest getups and Cher in her raciest ones -- died Monday.

— MARK KENNEDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of kooky

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oddballs

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“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddball. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of oddball

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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