Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who is deranged and possibly dangerous: "weirdo" can refer to an individual whose behavior is mentally unstable and may pose a threat.
   • A person who is unpleasantly strange or eccentric: "weirdo" also describes someone whose manner, appearance, or actions are perceived as odd, unsettling, or socially unconventional in an unpleasant way.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The police warned residents about a weirdo lurking near the park at night.
  • She felt uncomfortable when a weirdo started talking to himself loudly on the bus.
  • Don't be such a weirdo; just act normal for once.

Advanced Usage

• Used as a pejorative label: The term is often used informally and derogatorily to ostracize or mock someone perceived as different.
  • He was labeled a weirdo in high school because of his unusual hobbies.
• Contextual intensity: The perceived threat can range from mild social awkwardness to genuine danger, heavily dependent on context.
  • That guy is just a harmless weirdo who collects garden gnomes. (Eccentric)
  • Call security; there's a weirdo trying to break into the building. (Potentially dangerous)

Variants and Related Words

• Weird (adj): suggesting something supernatural or uncanny; very strange.
  • That's a weird coincidence.
• Weirdness (n): the quality of being weird.
  • The weirdness of the situation made everyone uneasy.

Synonyms

• Eccentric: A person with unconventional and slightly strange views or behavior. (Often less derogatory than "weirdo").
• Oddball: A strange or eccentric person. (Informal, can be mildly derogatory or affectionate).
• Creep: A person who produces a feeling of fear or disgust. (Informal, emphasizes unpleasantness).
• Lunatic: A person who is mentally ill, dangerously foolish, or wildly unpredictable. (Stronger, implies madness).

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Social weirdo: A phrase sometimes used to emphasize a person's failure to conform to social norms.
  • He was the class social weirdo, always eating lunch alone.
• Avoid like a weirdo: An informal idiom meaning to stay away from someone because they are strange or unsettling.
  • After he started giving people unsolicited advice, everyone avoided him like a weirdo.

Noun

1. someone deranged and possibly dangerous
2. someone unpleasantly strange or eccentric