Polyglot Dictionary

merkwürdig

/ˈmɛʁkvʏʁdɪç/

adjective B1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Adj Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Meaning

  1. strange, odd

    Despite the resemblance to merken (to notice), merkwürdig just means "strange"/"odd," not "noteworthy."

    • Das war ein merkwürdiges Geräusch.

      That was a strange noise.

Similar words

seltsam

merkwürdig and seltsam are close synonyms for "strange"; merkwürdig can lean slightly more toward "puzzling," while seltsam is the more neutral everyday word.

Similar in other languages

English

quaint

Close — strange, odd relates to quaint.

English

weird

merkwürdig and weird both mean strange in a way that stands out from the ordinary.

English

odd

merkwürdig and odd both describe something strange or unusual, directly matching the word's own gloss.

Practice

1 What does merkwürdig mean?

2 Which fingerprint chart matches merkwürdig?

adjective

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