bizarre

English Online Dictionary. What means bizarre‎? What does bizarre mean?

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French bizarre (“odd, peculiar, bizarre”, formerly “headlong, angry”). Either from Basque bizar (“a beard”) (the notion being that bearded Spanish soldiers made a strange impression on the French), or from Italian bizzarro.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɪˈzɑː(ɹ)/, /bəˈzɑː(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /bɪˈzɑɹ/, /bəˈzɑɹ/
• Homophone: bazaar (weak vowel merger)

Adjective

bizarre (comparative more bizarre or bizarrer, superlative most bizarre or bizarrest)

1. Strangely unconventional; highly unusual and different from common experience, often in an extravagant, fantastic, and/or conspicuous way.

Usage notes

• The comparative and superlative forms with more and most are predominant. The alternative superlative bizarrest is fairly common, whereas the comparative bizarrer is very rare.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:strange

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• “bizarre”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “bizarre”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Brazier, brazier

Danish

Adjective

bizarre

1. definite of bizar
2. plural of bizar

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

bizarre

1. inflection of bizar:
   1. masculine/feminine singular attributive
   2. definite neuter singular attributive
   3. plural attributive

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bizzarro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.zaʁ/
• Rhymes: -aʁ

Adjective

bizarre (plural bizarres)

1. bizarre, odd, strange, funny

2. peculiar, quaint

Usage notes

• Bizarre can mean "bizarre" but it is also used for strange situations that are less extreme than would be connoted by "bizarre" in English.

Synonyms

• baroque
• étrange
• original
• singulier

Related terms

• bizarrement
• bizarrerie

Further reading

• “bizarre”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• barriez

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

bizarre

1. inflection of bizarr:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Interlingua

Adjective

bizarre (comparative plus bizarre, superlative le plus bizarre)

1. bizarre