What's the difference between "freak" and "strange"?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
A "freak" originally referred to a person who had an unusual physical quality that makes them different. Now, a "freak" is usually someone who is just very weird or strange. A "freak show" used to be an event where people could pay to go see a bunch of people with physical abnormalities who were called "freaks." The phrase "freak show" now usually describes seeing something or someone that is very weird. The word "freak" is a noun and is usually a lot stronger than "strange". Calling someone "a freak" can be very rude if you aren't close with them. If you call someone "strange", this can still be rude but it is a little less rude than "freak". "Strange" is usually used as an adjective and so it does not sound like the identity of the person like "freak", but just describes something as being a little unusual or weird. "Strange" is a little bit nicer than "freak" because it isn't always negative. Although it means something is unusual, it can also mean that it is interesting or unique. Ex: That girl never talks. She's a freak. Ex: He is a strange man.
