word choice - What is the difference between "that's odd", "that's weird", and "that's strange"?


What is the difference between that's odd, that's weird, and that's strange?



Answer



While they may be used interchangeably in casual conversation, they actually have different meanings. From an etymological dictionary:




  • Odd (a jut of land): something not usual or expected. Has no special positive or negative connotation. Winning a lottery would be odd but neither weird nor strange.




  • Weird (fated): Something supernatural or beyond human understanding. A fortune-teller predicting your future would be weird, but probably neither odd nor strange.




  • Strange (foreign): Something unfamiliar. A type of material (rock, cloth, or such) you've never seen before would be strange but not weird, and odd only if it were otherwise unusual or rare.




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