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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

eccentric

Adjective

IPA /ɪkˈsentrɪk/

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Meaning in plain English

Behaving or appearing in unusual ways that other people see as different from ordinary expectations.

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Pronunciation

eccentric/ɪkˈsentrɪk/

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  1. Ordinary everyday choices

  2. Unusual habits and appearance

An eccentric person behaves in ways others consider unusual.

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  1. Our eccentric neighbour wears a bright bow tie while gardening.
  2. The novel features an eccentric professor who collects broken clocks.

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Our ________ neighbour wears a bright bow tie while gardening.
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eccentric — Behaving or appearing in unusual ways that other people see as different from ordinary expectations.

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Behaving or appearing in unusual ways that other people see as different from ordinary expectations.

Compare: Our eccentric neighbour wears a bright bow tie while gardening.

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Word origin

Ultimately from Greek ekkentros, meaning away from the centre, through Latin.

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Eccentric can describe behaviour, clothes or a person.

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eccentric

/ɪkˈsentrɪk/ (Adjective)

“Eccentric can sound affectionate or critical, depending on the context and tone.”

englishskillstudio.com