oddball

[od-bawl]

noun

1. a person or thing that is atypical, bizarre, eccentric, or nonconforming, especially one having beliefs that are unusual but harmless.

adjective

1. whimsically free-spirited; eccentric; atypical.

   an oddball scheme.

oddball

/ ˈɒdˌbɔːl /

noun

1. Also called: odd bod.  odd fish. a strange or eccentric person

adjective

1. strange or peculiar

Word History and Origins

Origin of oddball¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; odd + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Shot on 35mm VistaVision, “One Battle After Another” will be a rare chance to see Anderson bring his sly digressions, oddball humor and tonal whiplash to a canvas usually reserved for Bayhem.

From Los Angeles Times

But it also turns him into a lonely, rigidly neoclassicist oddball who scorns his professors, prefers books to his flighty peers and still can’t seem to take care of himself.

From Los Angeles Times

These five projects — a combination of celebrity portraits, true-crime thrillers and oddball sagas — suggest the breadth of HBO Documentary Films’ strategy for an art form that has blossomed on the small screen.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s tantalizingly oddball and indelicate: a combined daymare and night odyssey that scratches until a feral hidden strength is revealed in the misfit main character, captivatingly played by Indian star Radhika Apte.

From Los Angeles Times

Speaking of oddball energy, musical guests Arcade Fire performed “Pink Elephant” and “Year of the Snake.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eccentric