Definition

Adjective: - Conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual: Describes something that is strikingly odd, bizarre, or deviates extremely from normal conventions, often in a way that is meant to attract attention.

Usage

The adjective "outré" is used to characterize styles, behaviors, ideas, or appearances that are not just unusual but are excessively, flamboyantly, or shockingly unconventional. It often carries a connotation of being tastelessly extreme or affectedly bizarre. It is a formal term, frequently used in critiques of art, fashion, or performance.

Examples

• The artist's sculptures, made from discarded machinery and neon lights, divided critics.
• She was known for her fashion sense, often wearing combinations that defied all tradition.
• His proposal to solve the traffic problem involved building personal flying pods.

Advanced Usage

• In artistic criticism: Used to describe work that deliberately pushes boundaries into the realm of the grotesque or absurd for effect.
  • The director's outré vision for the classic play left the audience bewildered.
• In social commentary: Can imply that unconventional behavior is contrived or seeking shock value.
  • Their outré lifestyle was more a performance for social media than a genuine philosophy.

Variants and Related Words

• Outréness (noun): The quality or state of being outré.
  • The outréness of the design was its main talking point.

Synonyms

• Bizarre: Very strange or unusual.
• Eccentric: Unconventional and slightly strange.
• Outlandish: Looking or sounding bizarre or unfamiliar.
• Grotesque: Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
• Freakish: Very unusual, strange, or unexpected.

Antonyms

• Conventional: Based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed.
• Ordinary: With no special or distinctive features; normal.
• Conservative: Adhering to traditional standards, cautious about change.

Notes

"Outré" is a loanword from French, where it literally means "exceeded" or "overdone." In English, it retains this sense of something that has gone beyond the normal limits of convention. It is typically used in written or formal spoken English rather than in everyday conversation.

Adjective

1. conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
   • restaurants of bizarre design--one like a hat, another like a rabbit
   • famed for his eccentric spelling
   • a freakish combination of styles
   • his off-the-wall antics
   • the outlandish clothes of teenagers
   • outre and affected stage antics