1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bizarre different from other adjectives like it?

The words fantastic and grotesque are common synonyms of bizarre. While all three words mean "conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality," bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.

a bizarre medieval castle in the heart of a modern city

When can fantastic be used instead of bizarre?

While the synonyms fantastic and bizarre are close in meaning, fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.

dreamed up fantastic rumors

When might grotesque be a better fit than bizarre?

Although the words grotesque and bizarre have much in common, grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.

grotesque statues on the cathedral
though grieving, she made a grotesque attempt at a smile

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 bizarre Jangly keys play under the title card setting up a bizarre collision that feels like a kind of complicit intimacy. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025 Zombie-like behavior in other insects Ophiocordyceps fungi can impact the behavior of host insects in ways that may seem bizarre, but are actually meant to ensure the survival of the fungus. Miami Herald, 10 July 2025 Nielsen's research also differentiated between disturbing dreams and bizarre dreams. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025 This bizarre tale about being picked up by bounty hunters, taken to an unmarked warehouse without access to food, water or an attorney were clearly fabricated. Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bizarre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bizarre
Adjective
  • The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • An airline worker staying a night at a hotel near the airport entered their room, only to realize there was something strange about their view.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
  • That same day, the AI chatbot Grok, which is controlled by Musk’s xAI, kicked off its own strange Epstein tirade.
    John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And that’s exactly the kind of weird the planet needs.
    Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Though country rock at their core, Roadhouse Band songs are flush with woodwinds and pedal steel, weird horns and synthesizers.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Marlins would be foolish to trade away an ace with affordable team control at his lowest value ever.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • Schulman’s characters make enough foolish and self-indulgent choices to fill a volume twice the size of this slim one.
    Book Marks July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The ever-changing face of modern gin has birthed many styles to pique the palate of the gin aficionado—or anyone partial to the odd G&T.
    Camille Berry, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • Depicted as short and animalistic in the comics, the tall, hunky Jackman seemed like an odd fit, but his interpretation of the retractable-clawed superhero is now definitive in mainstream popular culture.
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • In a sit-down interview, Goldberg said the amount of disrespect Gunther had for Goldberg was unreal.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • And, if Mateer and Ott are as-advertised, this could be an unreal year for the Sooners.
    Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • But a funny thing happened on the way to this flexible-rate nirvana.
    Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • His voice is too funny, too smart and too important to go quietly into the night.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bizarre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bizarre. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bizarre

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!