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bizarrely

C2
Uncommon

Pronunciation

UK

  • /bɪzˈɑːli/

US

    Meanings

    Adverb

    1. in a very strange, unusual, or unexpected way

    Beyond the definition

    If something happens bizarrely, it occurs in a way that's very strange or unusual—almost unsettlingly so. Think of a perfectly normal Tuesday suddenly interrupted by a penguin waddling down Main Street; that would be bizarre! It's more than just odd; it suggests something truly out of the ordinary and unexpected. You might describe someone acting bizarrely if they started speaking in rhyme for no reason, or a situation unfolding bizarrely if everything suddenly went completely sideways. The word hints at an almost surreal quality—like something from a dream.

    Examples

    1. 1

      Unexpected timing

      Bizarrely, the fire alarm stopped the moment the firefighters arrived.

    2. 2

      Familiar feeling

      She smiled at me in a way that felt bizarrely familiar.

    3. 3

      Politics

      The two candidates ended up making bizarrely similar promises.

    4. 4

      Travel problem

      He was bizarrely calm after losing his passport at the airport.

    More examples
    1. 5

      Surprising omission

      Bizarrely enough, nobody mentioned the huge crack in the wall.

      • Phrasebizarrely enough

        used to introduce something surprising or hard to explain

    See also

    Similar

    Shades of meaning

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    Used with (collocations)

    • bizarrely enough
    • behave bizarrely
    • bizarrely dressed
    • bizarrely shaped

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    Forms and spellings

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    Main spelling

    • bizarrelyadverb