weirdo

Everyday

1. (slang, rude) A person who seems very strange or odd. tree →
2. (slang, friendly) Said jokingly to a friend who does something silly. tree →

In the lessons

Common in casual and children's talk and in stories with real speech. Calling someone a weirdo can be bullying; between close friends it can be a joke. Tells the reader how one character sees another.

Examples

• Stop pulling faces, you weirdo! laughed her sister. tree →
• Don't call the new boy a weirdo; that's unkind. tree →
• Everyone thought he was a weirdo until they got to know him. tree →
• My dog is a total weirdo: he sleeps upside down. tree →
• In the film, the weirdo next door turned out to be a hero. tree →
• She proudly said, «Yes, I'm a weirdo, and I like it.» tree →

Note

Informal and often rude; never use it in school writing except in a character's speech. Plural weirdos. From «weird» (spelt with ei, a common spelling trap: «weird» breaks the «i before e» rule).