oddball

noun

odd·​ball ˈäd-ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
: one that is eccentric
oddball adjective

Examples of oddball in a Sentence

He used to be a real oddball back in high school. she's known as the office oddball
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Son and Kim are a great choice to play this oddball cat-and-mouse duo. Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 In recent years, Update has emerged as the most reliable segment in an often-uneven show, as Che and Jost honed their oddball chemistry as an uncaring provocateur paired with a snarky guy willing to parody his own privilege. Eric Deggans, NPR, 18 May 2025 In his headlong rush to success, an oddball comedian abandons his most loyal allies. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 May 2025 Intel's oddball Core Ultra 200V laptop chips—codenamed Lunar Lake—will apparently be a one-off experiment, not to be replicated in future Intel laptop chips. ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oddball

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oddball was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oddball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddball. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

oddball

noun
odd·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce oddball (audio)
: a person who behaves strangely

More from Merriam-Webster on oddball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!