Oddest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An instance of being the most unusual or peculiar, often standing out as particularly strange or unconventional, can be identified as extraordinarily distinctive
2. The condition of being the most nonconforming or atypical in nature, often highlighting an exceptional level of uniqueness or quirkiness, can characterize an entity as remarkably odd
3. Denoting the highest degree of strangeness or peculiarity in a person or thing

Etymology: "Odd" began as a term for numbers. An odd number was the one left unpaired when things were divided into twos. The English word comes from Old Norse "oddi," which meant a point, such as the tip of a spear, or a triangular spit of land jutting into water. That pointed, leftover sense links the word to the modern idea of something unmatched or out of step. From being unpaired came the broader sense of being out of the ordinary. Something that did not fit a pair, a set, or a regular pattern seemed irregular, and irregular things struck people as strange. "Oddest" is the superlative of this adjective, formed with "-est," so it marks the point where that unmatched quality reaches its greatest extent.

Synonyms: strangest, weirdest, most unusual

Antonyms: normal, usual