weirdo
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
someone who behaves or dresses in a way that you think is very strange.
a person whose behaviour, appearance, or interests are perceived as eccentric or socially non-conforming. Often used with a derogatory or dismissive tone.
Simple“Some weirdo on the bus was talking to himself and wearing a winter coat in July.”
In context“While some viewed the artist as a harmless eccentric, others dismissed him as a total weirdo who lacked any sense of social decorum.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a strange person who makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
a person whose unusual behaviour is perceived as unsettling, creepy, or potentially threatening.
Simple“She didn't want to walk home alone because there was a weirdo hanging around the park.”
In context“The security guard was instructed to keep an eye on any weirdos loitering near the entrance after the building had closed for the evening.”
From weird + -o (“person with characteristic”). The earliest documented usages date to the early 1950s in the United States. The similar Scottish word "weirdie" (also referring to an odd, unconventional person) is attested from earlier, in 1887.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.