Eccentric
/ɪkˈsɛntrɪk/
adjectivenounB2
Definition
Eccentric means not following normal behavior or style. It can describe a person who acts in a strange or unusual way that is different from most people. It can also describe things that are unusual or not ordinary.
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See It in Action
Adjective: Describing unusual or strange behavior or style
- •She has an eccentric way of dressing that makes her stand out.
- •The eccentric professor always wore colorful socks and told funny stories.
- •His ideas about art were eccentric but very creative.
Noun: A person who behaves in an unusual or strange way
- •The town had many eccentrics who loved to wear old-fashioned clothes.
- •He was known as an eccentric because he collected weird objects.
- •Eccentrics often think differently and see the world in a unique way.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "eccentric" like "different," but more about unusual or strange behavior, not just any difference
- ✓Picture a person wearing very colorful, odd clothes and doing things in a surprising way
- ✓It's the feeling when you meet someone who does things their own way, not caring about what others think
- ✓Sounds like "ek-SEN-trik" → Imagine a person standing out in the center of attention because they are different (center = "centr")
- ✓Think of famous inventors or artists who were called eccentric because they had unique ideas and habits
- ✓NOT like "normal" (usual and expected), eccentric is unusual and stands out
- ✓NOT like "weird" (can be negative), eccentric often feels more playful or interesting
- ✓As a noun, eccentric is a person who behaves in an unusual way, not fitting usual social rules
Try Other Words
- •Unusual: not common or normal (Use when you want a softer, less strong word than eccentric)
- •Quirky: having small, odd habits or style (Use when the unusual behavior or style is charming or funny)
- •Odd: different from what is normal, sometimes strange (Use for general strangeness without positive or negative feeling)
- •Peculiar: strange or unusual in a way that is interesting (Use in formal or literary contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "ec-" from Greek "ek" meaning "out of" or "away from"
- •Root: "centric" from Greek "kentron" meaning "center"
- •Together, "eccentric" means "away from the center," or not in the usual place or way
- •First used in English in the 1600s to describe things not in the center, later for people with unusual behavior
- •Today, it describes people or things that are unusual, strange, or different from normal
Reflect & Connect
•Can being eccentric be a good thing? How does it help or hurt people in society?
•How do you feel when you meet someone eccentric? Do you admire or avoid them, and why?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often call someone eccentric when they ___ behave very differently from others in their group.
2.An eccentric person usually does not care about ___ what most people think is normal.
3.Unlike a normal person, an eccentric person might wear ___ clothes or have unusual hobbies.
4.When someone is called eccentric, it usually means their behavior is ___ but not always bad.
5.The word eccentric can be used as a noun to mean a person who ___ in strange or unusual ways.
6.Eccentric people often ___ attention because they stand out from the crowd.
7.You might say someone is eccentric if they ___ rules or social expectations on purpose.