German word

merkwürdig

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmɛɐ̯kˌvʏɐ̯dɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectivestrange

Example

Das ist merkwürdiger, als ich dachte.

That's stranger than I thought.

Illustration for merkwürdig (strange)

More examples

Sein Lächeln wirkte etwas merkwürdig.

His smile seemed somewhat strange.

Core concept

Something that stands out as unusual while also attracting attention.

Common phrases

  • etwas merkwürdig

    somewhat strange

  • sehr merkwürdig

    very strange

Similar words

komisch: Funny or absurd in a way that invites laughter.
seltsam: Strikingly unusual and slightly uncomfortable.
kurios: Uncommon and intriguing because of its unusual character.
eigenartig: Oddly distinctive and out of place among its surroundings.

Definition in German

merkwürdig beschreibt etwas, das unerwartet oder seltsam erscheint und Aufmerksamkeit weckt.

Word origin

The compound merkwürdig joined merken, 'to notice', and würdig, 'worthy', expressing the idea of something worthy of notice before it acquired the sense 'strange'.

Usage tips

  • Merkwürdig can still mean 'noteworthy', but in ordinary modern speech it often suggests that something is odd rather than simply important.

Opposites

Related words

  • Merkwürdigkeitstrangenessnoun
  • merkwürdig(er)weisestrangelyadverb

Word lists with this word