unusual
[adjective]
Synonyms: extraordinary, curious, different, exceptional, odd, queer, rare, remarkable, singular, strange, uncommon, unconventional

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Antonyms: usual
Related Idioms: the exception rather than the rule

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English Thesaurus: unusual, rare, exceptional, out of the ordinary, freak, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

un‧u‧su‧al S2 W3 /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒəl/ adjective
different from what is usual or normal:
an unusual feature
unusual circumstances
It’s unusual for Dave to be late.
It’s not unusual (=it is quite common) to feel very angry in a situation like this.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

unusual
adj.
VERBS appear, be, look, seem | become | consider sth It was considered unusual for a gentleman's son to study medicine.
ADV. decidedly, distinctly, extremely, highly, particularly, really, very This is a highly unusual case.
by no means, hardly, not at all It's not at all unusual to feel very tired in the early months of pregnancy.
a bit, fairly, a little, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, slightly, somewhat | enough, sufficiently The arrival of a taxi was unusual enough; an unknown woman getting out of it was sensational.
PREP. for It's unusual for a woman to do this job.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

unusual

very/most/highly unusual
Gandhi was a most unusual politician.
extremely unusual
We’ve not had any snow yet, which is extremely unusual.
rather/somewhat/quite/fairly unusual
The design of the house was somewhat unusual.
nothing unusual
There is nothing unusual about the arrangement.
something unusual
We want to know if anyone saw something unusual last night.
anything unusual
Did you notice anything unusual about him?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

unusual
adjective
BAD: It is not unusual that two families share the same house.
GOOD: It is not unusual for two families to share the same house.

Usage Note:
See USUAL 1 (usual)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

unusual different from what usually happens:
We had snow in May, which is very unusual.
rare not happening very often, or existing only in small numbers:
Violent crimes are rare.
Hatton gathered many rare plants from all over the world.
exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/ very unusual and happening very rarely:
90-day visas can be extended only in exceptional circumstances.
The presence of a jury in a civil trial is now quite exceptional.
out of the ordinary unusual and surprising or special:
It was a small village where nothing out of the ordinary ever seemed to happen.
freak extremely unusual and unexpected - used about an accident, storm etc:
A freak wave wrecked most of the seafront.
Their car was crushed by a tree in a freak accident.
unprecedented /ʌnˈpresədentəd, ʌnˈpresɪdentəd/ if something is unprecedented, it has never happened before - often used about successes and achievements:
An unprecedented number of students have received top grades.
This kind of deal is unprecedented.
unheard of if something is unheard of, it has never happened or been done before - used especially when something seems very surprising to people at that time:
In our small town, this kind of crime was almost unheard of.
unheard-of luxuries such as electric windows and air-conditioning
eccentric behaving in a way that seems rather strange but not frightening:
The house was owned by an eccentric millionaire.
eccentric behaviour
unconventional very different from the way people usually behave, think, dress etc, often in a way that seems interesting:
His parents had a rather unconventional lifestyle, and let their children do whatever they pleased.
His approach to business may seem unconventional, but he certainly gets results.
unorthodox unorthodox ideas or methods are different from the usual ones, and therefore seem surprising to many people:
He is known for his unorthodox political views.
unorthodox teaching methods

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲