adj
Meaning 1
Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentrical, excentrical
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
eccentric
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/
-
/ɛkˈsɛntɹɪk/
-
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
homophone: excentric
-
rhymes with -ɛntɹɪk
-
CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S EH1 N T R IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
-
CMU ARPABET 2: EH2 K S EH1 N T R IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Not perfectly circular; elliptical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- As of 2008, Margaret had the most eccentric orbit of any moon in the solar system, though Nereid's mean eccentricity is greater.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentrical, excentrical
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Having a different center; not concentric.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentrical, excentrical
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Of a person, deviating from the norm; behaving unexpectedly or differently; unconventional and slightly strange.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- 1801, Author not named, Fyfield (John), entry in Eccentric Biography; Or, Sketches of Remarkable Characters, Ancient and Modern, page 127, He was a man of a most eccentric turn of mind, and great singularity of conduct.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentrical, excentrical, odd, abnormal
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Of a motion, against or in the opposite direction of contraction of a muscle (such as results from flexion of the lower arm (bending of the elbow joint) by an external force while contracting the triceps and other elbow extensor muscles to control that movement; opening of the jaw while flexing the masseter).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: concentric
adj
Meaning 6
Having different goals or motives.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- a. 1626, Francis Bacon, 1867, Richard Whately (analysis and notes), James R. Boyd (editor), Essay XI: Wisdom for a Man's Self, Lord Bacon's Essays, page 171, [...] for whatsoever affairs pass such a man's hands he crooketh them to his own ends, which must needs be often eccentric to those of his master or state: [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentrical, excentrical
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Having or being an oospore with a single large oil globule on one side that displaces much of the ooplasm and forces the ooplasts to one side.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, mycology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
One who does not behave like others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: character
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
A kook; a person of bizarre habits or beliefs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A circle not having the same centre as another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: astronomy, geometry, mathematics, natural-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A disk or wheel with its axis off centre, giving a reciprocating motion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
An exercise that goes against or in the opposite direction of contraction of a muscle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 13
not having a common center; not concentric
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- eccentric circles
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nonconcentric
Antonyms: concentric
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- 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
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bizarre, freakish, freaky, flaky, flakey, gonzo, off-the-wall, outlandish, outre
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a real character
- a strange character
- a friendly eccentric
- the capable type
- a mental case
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: character, type, case
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adult, grownup
noun
Meaning 16
a person with an unusual or odd personality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eccentric person, flake, oddball, geek
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: anomaly, unusual person
Narrower terms: crackpot, crank, nut, nut case, fruitcake, screwball, nutter, wacko, whacko
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1eǵhs Proto-Hellenic *eks Ancient Greek ἐκ (ek) Ancient Greek ἐκ- (ek-) Proto-Indo-European *ḱent-der. Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros)der. Medieval Latin eccentricusder. Middle French excentriquebor. English eccentric From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric.
Across languages
Translations
123 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: ексцентричен (ekscentričen) — not at or in the centre
- Catalan: excèntric — not at or in the centre
- Chinese Mandarin: 偏心的 — not at or in the centre
- Danish: excentrisk — not at or in the centre
- Dutch: excentrisch — not at or in the centre
- Finnish: epäkeskinen — not at or in the centre
- Finnish: eksentrinen — not at or in the centre
- French: excentrique — not at or in the centre
- Galician: excéntrico — not at or in the centre
- German: exzentrisch — not at or in the centre
- Italian: eccentrico — not at or in the centre
- Portuguese: excêntrico — not at or in the centre
- Russian: эксцентри́ческий (ekscentríčeskij) — not at or in the centre
- Serbo-Croatian: ексцентричан — not at or in the centre
- Serbo-Croatian: ekscentričan — not at or in the centre
- Swedish: excentrisk — not at or in the centre
- Catalan: excèntric — not perfectly circular
- Dutch: excentrisch — not perfectly circular
- Finnish: eksentrinen — not perfectly circular
- Galician: excéntrico — not perfectly circular
- German: exzentrisch — not perfectly circular
- German: elliptisch — not perfectly circular
- German: eiernd — not perfectly circular
- Portuguese: excêntrico — not perfectly circular
- Serbo-Croatian: ексцентричан — not perfectly circular
- Serbo-Croatian: ekscentričan — not perfectly circular
- Swedish: excentrisk — not perfectly circular
- Bulgarian: ексцентричен (ekscentričen) — having a different center
- Catalan: excèntric — having a different center
- Finnish: epäkesko — having a different center
- Galician: excéntrico — having a different center
- German: außermittig — having a different center
- Portuguese: excêntrico — having a different center
- Swedish: excentrisk — having a different center
- Azerbaijani: ekssentrik — deviating from the norm
- Bulgarian: ексцентричен (ekscentričen) — deviating from the norm
- Bulgarian: чудат (čudat) — deviating from the norm
- Catalan: excèntric — deviating from the norm
- Chinese Mandarin: 古怪 (gǔguài) — deviating from the norm
- Czech: výstřední — deviating from the norm
- Danish: excentrisk — deviating from the norm
- Dutch: excentriek — deviating from the norm
- Dutch: buitenissig — deviating from the norm
- Dutch: afwijkend — deviating from the norm
- Finnish: eksentrinen — deviating from the norm
- Finnish: omalaatuinen — deviating from the norm
- French: excentrique — deviating from the norm
- Galician: excéntrico — deviating from the norm
- Galician: estrafalario — deviating from the norm
- German: exzentrisch — deviating from the norm
- German: schrullig — deviating from the norm
- Hungarian: különc — deviating from the norm
- Hungarian: hóbortos — deviating from the norm
- Hungarian: bogaras — deviating from the norm
- Italian: eccentrico — deviating from the norm
- Japanese: 偏心 (henshin) — deviating from the norm
- Korean: 별나다 (byeollada) — deviating from the norm
- Malay: aneh — deviating from the norm
- Malay: eksentrik — deviating from the norm
- Māori: korokē — deviating from the norm
- Māori: hārakiraki — deviating from the norm
- Polish: ekscentryczny — deviating from the norm
- Portuguese: excêntrico — deviating from the norm
- Russian: эксцентри́чный (ekscentríčnyj) — deviating from the norm
- Serbo-Croatian: ексцентричан — deviating from the norm
- Serbo-Croatian: неуравнотежен — deviating from the norm
- Serbo-Croatian: ekscentričan — deviating from the norm
- Serbo-Croatian: neuravnotežen — deviating from the norm
- Spanish: excéntrico — deviating from the norm
- Swedish: avvikande — deviating from the norm
- Swedish: excentrisk — deviating from the norm
- Tamil: விசித்திரமான (vicittiramāṉa) — deviating from the norm
- Ottoman Turkish: دلی (deli) — deviating from the norm
- Unami: kànkàmawsi — deviating from the norm
- Armenian: տարօրինակ (tarōrinak) — person who does not behave like others
- Bulgarian: ексце́нтрик (ekscéntrik) — person who does not behave like others
- Bulgarian: чуда́к (čudák) — person who does not behave like others
- Catalan: excèntric — person who does not behave like others
- Chinese Mandarin: 怪人 (guàirén) — person who does not behave like others
- Danish: excentriker — person who does not behave like others
- Dutch: excentriekeling — person who does not behave like others
- Finnish: eksentrikko — person who does not behave like others
- French: excentrique — person who does not behave like others
- German: Exzentriker — person who does not behave like others
- German: Exzentrikerin — person who does not behave like others
- German: Querulant — person who does not behave like others
- Greek: παράξενος (paráxenos) — person who does not behave like others
- Hindi: सनक (sanak) — person who does not behave like others
- Hindi: सनकी (sankī) — person who does not behave like others
- Hungarian: különc — person who does not behave like others
- Ingrian: cudakka — person who does not behave like others
- Italian: eccentrico — person who does not behave like others
- Japanese: 変人 (henjin) — person who does not behave like others
- Māori: korokē — person who does not behave like others
- Māori: whanokē — person who does not behave like others
- Norwegian Bokmål: eksentriker — person who does not behave like others
- Polish: ekscentryk — person who does not behave like others
- Polish: ekscentryczka — person who does not behave like others
- Polish: ekscentrycy — person who does not behave like others
- Polish: ekscentryczki — person who does not behave like others
- Portuguese: excêntrico — person who does not behave like others
- Russian: эксце́нтрик (ekscéntrik) — person who does not behave like others
- Russian: чуда́к (čudák) — person who does not behave like others
- Sanskrit: सनक (sanaka) — person who does not behave like others
- Serbo-Croatian: ексцентрик — person who does not behave like others
- Serbo-Croatian: чудак — person who does not behave like others
- Serbo-Croatian: ekscentrik — person who does not behave like others
- Serbo-Croatian: čudak — person who does not behave like others
- Swedish: excentriker — person who does not behave like others
- Turkish: zibidi — person who does not behave like others
- Bulgarian: ексце́нтрик (ekscéntrik) — off-centre wheel
- Dutch: excentriek — off-centre wheel
- Dutch: kolderschijf — off-centre wheel
- Finnish: epäkesko — off-centre wheel
- German: Exzenter — off-centre wheel
- Hungarian: excenter — off-centre wheel
- Kazakh: эксцентрик (ékssentrik) — off-centre wheel
- Polish: ekscentryk — off-centre wheel
- Polish: mimośród — off-centre wheel
- Russian: эксце́нтрик (ekscéntrik) — off-centre wheel
- Serbo-Croatian: ексцентрик — off-centre wheel
- Serbo-Croatian: ekscentrik — off-centre wheel
- Tagalog: luwastungain — off-centre wheel
Real reading context