student asking question

What is the difference between "weird" and "odd"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Odd" means that something is unusual or strange. Ex: It's raining today? That's odd. "Weird" can also mean that something is strange, but the meaning of this word originates from something being supernatural or unnatural, or beyond the understanding of humans. Nowadays, people don't always use this word to mean that something is supernatural, and it can just mean something is very strange. However, the word "weird" is much less formal and more common than the word "odd". Ex: The cat just ran backwards - that's weird. Ex: That's a weird shirt. While there was historically more of a difference between these two words in the English language, the main difference is their formality. "Odd" is a much more formal word while "weird" is less formal and is used more in everyday conversations.

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