# odd

/ˈɑd/ (US) · /ˈɒd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/odd
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. strange or unusual

adjective · CEFR B1

strange, unusual, or not what you would expect.

For teachers: differing from what is usual, ordinary, or expected; often carries a mild connotation of suspicion or eccentricity.

- It was a bit odd that he didn't answer my phone call all day.
- The detective found it odd that the back door was unlocked, as the residents were notoriously meticulous about home security.

### 2. not divisible by two

adjective · CEFR B1

a number like 1, 3, or 5 that cannot be divided exactly by two.

For teachers: denoting an integer that is not divisible by two without a remainder.

- The houses on this side of the street all have odd numbers.
- The algorithm is designed to ignore even-numbered entries and process only the odd ones in the data set.

### 3. occasional or extra

adjective · CEFR B2

happening sometimes but not regularly, or being one extra part of a set.

For teachers: occurring occasionally or at random intervals; also describing a single item remaining from a pair or set.

- He earns a little extra money doing odd jobs for his neighbours.
- Apart from the odd rainy day, the weather during our three-week trek through the mountains was remarkably clear.

### 4. approximately

adjective · CEFR B2

used after a number to mean 'a little bit more than'.

For teachers: used in combination with a round number to indicate an approximate quantity that is slightly higher than the stated figure.

- There were thirty-odd people at the party last night.
- The project took twenty-odd years to complete, far exceeding the original timeline proposed by the architectural firm.

### 5. leftover items

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

small things that are left over from a larger group.

For teachers: miscellaneous items or remnants that do not belong to a complete set; usually used in the plural 'odds and ends'.

- The drawer was full of odds and ends like old batteries and rubber bands.
- After the move, we were left with a box of odds and ends that didn't seem to fit into any specific room in the new house.

## Examples

- It is odd that he didn't call me back today.
- The car was making an odd clicking sound every time I turned the steering wheel to the left.
- While the results of the experiment seemed odd at first glance, a closer inspection of the data revealed a consistent pattern that challenged our initial hypothesis.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.