English Reference
adverb

strangely

adv.
US /ˈstɹeɪndʒɫi/ UK /stɹˈeɪndʒli/ strange·ly

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    in a way that is unusual, unexpected, or hard to explain.

    in a manner that is unusual, peculiar, or difficult to understand.

    Simple

    The house was strangely quiet when I arrived home from work.

    In context

    The witness behaved strangely during the cross-examination, often pausing for several seconds before answering even the most basic questions.

    oddlypeculiarlyunusually
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    used to show that something is surprising or coincidental.

    used as a sentence adverb to indicate that the following statement is surprising or coincidental.

    Simple

    Strangely, I wasn't nervous at all before the big presentation.

    In context

    Strangely enough, the two scientists reached the same conclusion independently despite working in entirely different fields of research.

    oddly enoughcuriously
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency ArchaicLiterary

    in a way that is very surprising or wonderful.

    in a manner that causes wonder or great surprise.

    Simple

    The garden was strangely beautiful in the moonlight.

    In context

    The ancient chronicles describe a city strangely wrought of gold and marble, the likes of which no traveller had seen before.


From Middle English straungely (“strangely, aloofly, intricately”); equivalent to strange + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English straungely
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated