eccentric adjective they were worried by his eccentric behaviour
UNCONVENTIONAL , uncommon, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, anomalous, odd, queer, strange, peculiar, weird, bizarre, outlandish, freakish, extraordinary;
IDIOSYNCRATIC , quirky, singular, nonconformist, capricious, whimsical; French outré, avant garde; N. Amer. left-field; informal way out, far out, offbeat, dotty, nutty, screwy, freaky, oddball, wacky, cranky, off the wall, madcap, zany; Brit. informal rum; N. Amer. informal kooky, wacko. -opposite(s): ORDINARY ; CONVENTIONAL. noun like all princes he was something of an eccentric
ODDITY , odd fellow, unorthodox person, character, individualist, individual, free spirit, misfit; informal oddball, queer fish, weirdo, weirdie, freak, nut, nutter, nutcase, case, head case, crank, crackpot, loony, loon; Brit. informal one-off, odd bod; N. Amer. informal wacko, wack, screwball, kook; Austral./NZ informal dingbat.
AWKWARD SYNONYMS
eccentric; unconventional; idiosyncratic; quirky
These words all describe people or things that are out of the ordinary. They express varying degrees of disapproval, interest, or curiosity.
Someone described as eccentric behaves in a way that does not conform to what is usual or expected. The description always carries a reference to the person's supposed mental state, which is regarde as strange, maybe even to the point of insanity: an eccentric millionaire who built his own UFO landing park | he lived as a bachelor of rather eccentric habits.
Unconventional is less strong. It describes behaviour that is not bound by generally accepted rules or ways of doing things. Unconventional expresses interest rather suspicion or disapproval: inspiring and unconventional teaching | he was one of the most unconventional men she had ever met. An unconventional person deliberately cultivates an independent-minded approach to life.
Idiosyncratic derives from Greek words meaning ‘individual mix’. It emphasizes the fact that someone's ideas or behaviour are unique to them: the band's approach is idiosyncratic. This uniqueness may be appealing or unsettling.
Quirky suggests an unusual, distinctive, and surprising or unpredictable character. There is a sense that this character makes someone or something amusing or intriguing: his quirky and award-winning composition | a quirky sense of humour.
