INDEX:
1. not what usually happens
2. unusually good or impressive
3. so unusual that nothing like it has ever happened before
4. when someone’s behaviour is unusual
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ NORMAL/ORDINARY
↑ COMMON
see also
↑ RARE/RARELY
↑ USUALLY
↑ STRANGE
↑ DIFFERENT
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1. not what usually happens
▷ unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒ ə l/ [adjective]
▪ We had snow in April, which is very unusual.
▪ She had an unusual last name - Peachtree or Plumtree or something like that.
▪ I first met Maria in unusual circumstances -- we were both stuck in a Brazilian airport.
it is unusual to do something
▪ It is unusual to find lakes of this size in Britain.
it is unusual for somebody to do something
▪ We were beginning to worry. It was unusual for David to be so late.
unusually [adverb]
▪ The house was unusually quiet.
▪ Unusually for a city hotel, it is set in a lush tropical garden.
▷ extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːʳd ə n ə riǁ-dn-eri, ˌekstrəˈɔːr-/ [adjective]
something that is extraordinary is very unusual because it would normally be very unlikely to happen or exist :
▪ The man’s story was so extraordinary that I didn’t know whether to believe him or not.
▪ He said it was an extraordinary decision and would send many industries spinning into recession.
an extraordinary thing to do/say/happen
▪ She left her husband, and in 1912 that was an extraordinary thing to do.
quite/most extraordinary
British very extraordinary
▪ The whole incident had been quite extraordinary.
extraordinarily [adverb]
▪ The level of the sea rose till it was extraordinarily high.
▷ exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
an exceptional situation is very unusual and happens very rarely :
▪ A few of the top executives are women, but this is still exceptional.
in exceptional circumstances/cases
▪ Exit visas are only given in exceptional circumstances.
exceptionally [adverb]
▪ This has been an exceptionally busy week.
▷ uncommon/not common /ʌnˈkɒmənǁ-ˈkɑː-, nɒt ˈkɒmənǁˈkɑː-/ [adjective]
something that is uncommon or not common is unusual because it does not happen very often :
▪ The disease mostly affects older people, and is not common among people under 50.
it is uncommon/not common (for somebody) to do something
▪ It is uncommon for small babies to sleep more than four hours without waking.
▷ you don’t usually/often /juː ˌdəʊnt ˈjuːʒuəli, ˈɒf ə nǁ-ˈɔːf-/ spoken
say you don’t usually see, find, hear etc something when it is very unusual to see it, find it etc :
▪ You don’t usually see rabbits of this size.
▪ You don’t often get people ringing up in the middle of the night to say they’ve found a body in the bath.
▷ out of the ordinary /ˌaʊt əv ði ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-dn-eri/ [adjective phrase]
unusual and surprising or special :
▪ Something out of the ordinary happened to us that night.
▪ The goalkeeper did not have to do anything out of the ordinary to keep his side in the game.
▷ special /ˈspeʃ ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]
a special occasion, situation, method etc is one that is different from what normally happens, and usually better :
▪ There were special security arrangements for the President’s visit.
▪ The prince said he didn’t want any special treatment in his new school.
special event/occasion
▪ I would only buy expensive shoes for a special event such as a wedding.
▪ a book of recipes for every day and special occasions too
in special circumstances
▪ Prisoners are only allowed to visit their families in special circumstances.
▷ freak /friːk/ [adjective only before noun]
freak accident/storm/conditions etc
an accident, storm etc that is very unusual and unexpected :
▪ He broke his leg in a freak training accident.
▪ A freak wave wrecked most of the seafront.
▪ Two planes were lifted up and thrown across the tarmac by a freak gust of wind.
▷ offbeat/off-beat /ˌɒfˈbiːt◂ǁˌɔːf-/ [adjective usually before noun]
off-beat films, designs, ideas etc are unusual and often seem interesting or humorous because they are so different from the usual ones :
▪ We had some really offbeat ideas for T-shirt designs.
▪ Movies featuring original or offbeat material are rarely big box-office successes.
2. unusually good or impressive
▷ unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒ ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]
unusual beauty, talent etc is much better or more impressive than usual :
▪ Alan’s work shows unusual talent and originality.
▪ He had an unusual ability to rise above the prejudices of his generation.
unusually [adverb]
▪ Mr Elstone is an unusually gifted teacher.
▷ special /ˈspeʃ ə l/ [adjective]
unusually good, impressive, or important :
▪ Joe has a special gift for mathematics.
▪ The bond between Sonya and her mother was very special.
▷ extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːʳd ə n ə riǁ-dn-eri, ˌekstrəˈɔːr-/ [adjective]
very much better, more beautiful, or more impressive than what is usual :
▪ He really was a most extraordinary man.
▪ The view from up here is extraordinary.
▪ Everything about the woman -- her hair, eyes, and jewellery -- gleamed with extraordinary brilliance.
extraordinarily [adverb]
▪ Victoria is an extraordinarily attractive girl.
▷ exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
an exceptional person or thing is so good that they are unusual compared to most other things or people of a similar type :
▪ When it comes to natural footballing ability, Gascoigne is exceptional.
▪ Graham Greene had exceptional talents as a story-teller.
▪ It’s one of the best examples of old English furniture I’ve seen -- it truly is exceptional.
▷ remarkable /rɪˈmɑːʳkəb ə l/ [adjective]
someone or something that is remarkable is unusually good or skilled, so that you notice them and admire them :
▪ The record features some remarkable guitar and piano solos.
▪ Henry Tippett showed remarkable flair as a hotelier.
▪ a remarkable statesman and diplomat
remarkably [adverb]
▪ The service in the restaurant is remarkably quick and efficient.
▷ rare /reəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
very special and unusual :
▪ He had that rare gift of being able to impart enthusiasm to others.
▪ She bore her illness with rare courage.
▪ Huston is a film-maker who has achieved a rare kind of beauty in his work.
▷ quite a/some /ˈkwaɪt ə, sʌm/ [determiner] informal
use this to describe someone or something that is unusually good, impressive, or enjoyable :
▪ This is quite a house.
▪ Jane told me I was almost intelligent, which from her is quite a compliment.
▪ That was some party last night!
▪ ‘She’s some lady,’ he said, with admiration.
▷ unique /juːˈniːk/ [adjective]
happening or existing extremely rarely - use this especially about the qualities someone or something has or about a chance to do something :
▪ She has a unique ability to communicate with animals of all kinds.
▪ This vacation offers a unique opportunity to visit some of the most remote mountain areas of the region.
3. so unusual that nothing like it has ever happened before
▷ unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentəd, ʌnˈpresədentəd/ [adjective]
an unprecedented event or situation, especially a good one, has never happened before :
▪ There has been an unprecedented demand for tickets.
▪ An unprecedented boom in tourism brought prosperity to the town.
▪ In the 1920's the number of Scots who made the journey across the Atlantic to the United States was unprecedented.
▷ unheard of /ʌnˈhɜːʳd ɒv/ [adjective] informal
a situation or event that is unheard of is surprising or shocking because it has never happened before and is difficult to imagine :
▪ Travel for pleasure was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century.
an unheard-of luxury/achievement/outburst etc
▪ When my father was a child, a television was an unheard-of luxury.
▪ The band had received six Grammy Awards -- an unheard-of achievement in such a short time.
4. when someone’s behaviour is unusual
▷ unconventional /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃ ə nəl◂/ [adjective]
someone who is unconventional lives, behaves, or does things in ways that are very different from the way that most ordinary people live or behave :
▪ She comes from an unconventional family.
▪ They were both unconventional to the point of eccentricity.
▪ unconventional political views
▷ it’s not like somebody /ɪts nɒt ˈlaɪk somebody/ spoken
say this when you mean that someone is behaving in a way that they do not usually behave, so you think they may be ill or have some kind of problem :
▪ Don’t you want any more to eat? That’s not like you.
it’s not like somebody to do something
▪ It’s not like Sally to get so upset - I think she’s been working too hard.