weird
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
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From Middle English werde, wierde, wirde, wyrede, wurde, from Old English wyrd, wurd (“that which happens, fate, chance, fortune, destiny, Fate, the Fates, Providence, event, phenomenon, transaction, fact, deed”), from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz (“fate, destiny”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with Icelandic urður (“fate”). Related to Old English weorþan (“to become”). More at worth.
Weird was extinct by the 16th century in English. It survived in Scots, whence Shakespeare borrowed it in naming the Weird Sisters, reintroducing it to English. The senses "abnormal", "strange" etc. arose via reinterpretation of Weird Sisters and date from after this reintroduction.
Pronunciation
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- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈwiɚd/, /ˈwɪɚd/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (AU): (file) - Rhymes: -ɪə(r)d
Adjective
weird (comparative weirder, superlative weirdest)
- Having an unusually strange character or behaviour.
- There are lots of weird people in this place.
- Deviating from the normal; bizarre.
- It was quite weird to bump into all my ex-girlfriends on the same day.
- (archaic) Of or pertaining to the Fates.
- (Can we find and add a quotation to this entry?)
- (archaic) Connected with fate or destiny; able to influence fate.
- (archaic) Of or pertaining to witches or witchcraft; supernatural; unearthly; suggestive of witches, witchcraft, or unearthliness; wild; uncanny.
- (Can we date this quote by Longfellow and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Those sweet, low tones, that seemed like a weird incantation.
- (Can we date this quote?), Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5
- Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me, 'Thane of Cawdor'; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that shalt be!'
- (Can we date this quote by Victor Whitechurch and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Naphtha lamps shed a weird light over a busy scene, for the work was being continued night and day. A score or so of sturdy navvies were shovelling and picking along the track.
- (Can we date this quote by Longfellow and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (archaic) Having supernatural or preternatural power.
- There was a weird light shining above the hill.
Synonyms
- (having supernatural or preternatural power): eerie, uncanny
- (unusually strange in character or behaviour): fremd, oddball, peculiar, whacko
- (deviating from the normal): bizarre, fremd, odd, out of the ordinary, strange
- (of or pertaining to the Fates): fateful
- See also Thesaurus:strange
Derived terms
Translations
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Noun
weird (plural weirds)
- (archaic) Fate; destiny; luck.
- A prediction.
- (obsolete, Scotland) A spell or charm.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Scott to this entry?)
- That which comes to pass; a fact.
- (archaic, in the plural) The Fates (personified).
Synonyms
Derived terms
Verb
weird (third-person singular simple present weirds, present participle weirding, simple past and past participle weirded)
- (transitive) To destine; doom; change by witchcraft or sorcery.
- (transitive) To warn solemnly; adjure.
Derived terms
Anagrams
Scots
Etymology
From Old English wyrd (“fate, destiny”), from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz.
Pronunciation
Noun
weird (plural weirds)
- fate, fortune, destiny, one's own particular fate or appointed lot
- event destined to happen, a god's decree, omen, prophecy, prediction
- wizard, warlock, one having deep or supernatural skill or knowledge
Derived terms
Adjective
weird (comparative mair weird, superlative maist weird)
Verb
weird (third-person singular simple present weirds, present participle weirdin, simple past weirdit, past participle weirdit)
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms borrowed from Scots
- English terms derived from Scots
- English 1-syllable words
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɪə(r)d
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with archaic senses
- Requests for date/Longfellow
- Requests for date/Victor Whitechurch
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Scottish English
- Requests for quotations/Sir Walter Scott
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English words not following the I before E except after C rule
- Scots terms inherited from Old English
- Scots terms derived from Old English
- Scots terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Scots terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Scots terms with IPA pronunciation
- Scots lemmas
- Scots nouns
- Scots adjectives
- Scots verbs