queer

C1 · Advanced Archaic · Literary

adj. strange, unusual, or not what you expect.

adj. differing from what is usual or expected; strange or odd in a way that may cause suspicion.

“He had a queer feeling that someone was watching him from the shadows.”

“The old house was filled with queer noises at night, which the locals attributed to the shifting foundations rather than anything supernatural.”

C2 · Proficiency British English · Archaic · Informal

adj. feeling slightly sick or faint.

adj. feeling slightly ill, faint, or physically out of sorts.

“She felt a bit queer after standing in the hot sun for so long.”

“After the long sea voyage, several passengers complained of feeling quite queer and were unable to attend the captain's dinner.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Slang

n. a person who is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

n. a person whose sexual orientation or gender identity is non-heteronormative.

“The festival was organized by a group of local queers who wanted more representation.”

“The documentary explores the lives of queers living in rural areas during the mid-twentieth century.”

C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Informal

v. to spoil a plan or make something fail.

v. to spoil, ruin, or interfere with the success of an endeavor or agreement.

“The sudden rainstorm threatened to queer our plans for a picnic.”

“The unexpected testimony from the witness served to queer the prosecutor's entire strategy, forcing a last-minute adjournment.”

C1 · Advanced Education Academic · Technical

v. to look at a book, movie, or history from an LGBTQ+ perspective.

v. to reevaluate or interpret a work or concept through the lens of queer theory or LGBTQ+ perspectives.

“Many modern critics have tried to queer the works of Shakespeare.”

“In her thesis, she sought to queer the traditional narrative of the frontier, highlighting the hidden histories of gender non-conformity in the Old West.”