adj
Meaning 1
Homosexual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, derogatory, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
queer
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.
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Received-Pronunciation: /kwɪə/
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General-American: /kwɪɹ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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New-Zealand: /kwiə̯/
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Scotland: /kwiɹ/
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South-Asia: /kwɪr/
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/kwɛː/ East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
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rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: K W IH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Non-heterosexual or non-cisgender: homosexual, bisexual, asexual, transgender, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, derogatory, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: homophile, homosexual, like that, queer, similisexual, that way
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Pertaining to sexual or gender behaviour or identity which does not conform to conventional heterosexual or cisgender norms, assumptions etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Examples
- the queer community
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Strange, odd, or different; whimsical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Examples
- 1927, J. B. S. Haldane, “Possible Worlds” in Possible Worlds and Other Papers, London: Chatto & Windus, Now, my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: aberrant, abnormal, alien, anomalous, as queer as Dick's hatband, bizarre, booky, curious, deviant, discrepant, eerie, eldritch, errant, exceptional, extraordinary, fey, forby, freak, freakish, freaky, fremd, funny, heteroclite, hinky, incongruous, incongruitous, irregular, kooky, monstrous, nonstandard, odd, outlandish, out of the ordinary, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queer as a clockwork orange, queer as a nine bob note, queer as a three dollar bill, queer as a coot, queer as Dick's hatband, rare, rum, rummy, selcouth, seld, singular, strange, trippy, uncanny, uncommon, uncouth, unconventional, unearthly, unexpected, unreasonable, unusual, unwonted, weird, weirdsome, yampy, different, differing, dissimilar, diverse, other, unalike, unlike
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Slightly unwell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dated, informal
Examples
- I felt queer after eating those shrimp.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: diseased, disease-ridden, infect, infected, morbid, morbific, morbose, unhealthy
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Drunk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dated, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Of or relating to the culture surrounding queer people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 8
Queerly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 9
Very, extremely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, not-comparable, usually
Examples
- Twas a queer bachram in the pub that night!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mighty, wicked
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A person who is or appears homosexual, or who has homosexual qualities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, derogatory, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A person of any non-heterosexual sexuality or sexual identity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, derogatory, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A person of any genderqueer identity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, derogatory, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
Counterfeit money.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, informal, with-definite-article
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: funny money, snide
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To render an endeavor or agreement ineffective or null.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: invalidate, thwart, compromise
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To puzzle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dated, dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To ridicule; to banter; to rally.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 17
To spoil the effect or success of, as by ridicule; to throw a wet blanket on; to spoil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 18
To reevaluate or reinterpret (a work) with an eye to sexual orientation and/or to gender, as by applying queer theory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, social-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: queerify
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 19
To make a work more appealing or attractive to LGBT people, such as by not having strict genders for playable characters.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: neologism, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 20
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a curious hybrid accent
- her speech has a funny twang
- they have some funny ideas about war
- had an odd name
- the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves
- something definitely queer about this town
- what a rum fellow
- singular behavior
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, rum, rummy, singular
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 21
homosexual or arousing homosexual desires
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gay, homophile(a)
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 22
offensive term for an openly homosexual man
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fagot, faggot, fag, fairy, nance, pansy, queen, poof, poove, pouf
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gay man, shirtlifter
verb
Meaning 23
put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: expose, scupper, endanger, peril
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: affect, impact, bear upon, bear on, touch on, touch
Narrower terms: compromise
verb
Meaning 24
hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge
- foil your opponent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thwart, spoil, scotch, foil, cross, frustrate, baffle, bilk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: prevent, forestall, foreclose, preclude, forbid
Narrower terms: disappoint, let down, dash, short-circuit, ruin
History
Etymology
Attested since about 1510, at first in Scots. Usually taken to be from Middle Low German (Brunswick dialect) queer (“oblique, off-center”) or the related German quer (“diagonal”), from Old Saxon thwerh, from Proto-West Germanic *þwerh, from Proto-Germanic *þwerhaz, from Proto-Indo-European *terkw- (“to turn, twist, wind”); compare Latin torqueō, and see more at thwart. The OED argues against this due to the semantic differences and the date at which the word appears in Scots. Began to be used to describe gay people in the late 1800s; see usage notes for more.
From queer.
Across languages
Translations
138 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Azerbaijani: kuir — slang: homosexual
- Azerbaijani: mavi — slang: homosexual
- Bulgarian: хомосексуален (homoseksualen) — slang: homosexual
- Catalan: marieta — slang: homosexual
- Danish: bøsse — slang: homosexual
- Dutch: homoseksueel — slang: homosexual
- Dutch: homo — slang: homosexual
- Esperanto: geja — slang: homosexual
- Esperanto: gejaĉa — slang: homosexual
- Esperanto: pederasta — slang: homosexual
- Finnish: sateenkaari- — slang: homosexual
- Finnish: hintti- — slang: homosexual
- Finnish: homo — slang: homosexual
- French: gay — slang: homosexual
- French: pédé — slang: homosexual
- Galician: mariqueiro — slang: homosexual
- Galician: maricallo — slang: homosexual
- Galician: conequé — slang: homosexual
- Galician: lareiro — slang: homosexual
- Galician: lariqueiro — slang: homosexual
- Galician: cazolas — slang: homosexual
- Georgian: ქვიარი (kviari) — slang: homosexual
- Georgian: ქვიარული (kviaruli) — slang: homosexual
- German: schwul — slang: homosexual
- German: lesbisch — slang: homosexual
- German: homo — slang: homosexual
- German: queer — slang: homosexual
- Hungarian: buzi — slang: homosexual
- Icelandic: hinsegin — slang: homosexual
- Indonesian: homo — slang: homosexual
- Indonesian: maho — slang: homosexual
- Indonesian: hombreng — slang: homosexual
- Irish: aiteach — slang: homosexual
- Italian: omosessuale — slang: homosexual
- Italian: finocchio — slang: homosexual
- Italian: checca — slang: homosexual
- Italian: frocio — slang: homosexual
- Italian: invertito — slang: homosexual
- Ladino: karucha — slang: homosexual
- Ladino: kulandrero — slang: homosexual
- Ladino: blando — slang: homosexual
- Ladino: kulampara — slang: homosexual
- Ladino: kulo alegre — slang: homosexual
- Malay: kuira — slang: homosexual
- Norwegian: skeiv — slang: homosexual
- Norwegian: homse — slang: homosexual
- Norwegian: soper — slang: homosexual
- Polish: queerowy — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: bicha — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: viado — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: rabeta — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: paneleiro — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: panilas — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: rabicho — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: panisga — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: abafa-palhinha — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: borboleta — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: queima-rosca — slang: homosexual
- Portuguese: bambi — slang: homosexual
- Russian: гомосексуали́ст (gomoseksualíst) — slang: homosexual
- Russian: голубо́й (golubój) — slang: homosexual
- Northern Sami: bonju — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: marica — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: maricón — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: trucha — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: julay — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: soplanucas — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: muerdealmohadas — slang: homosexual
- Spanish: joto — slang: homosexual
- Swedish: queer — slang: homosexual
- Turkish: kuir lubunya — slang: homosexual
- Ukrainian: гомосексуа́льний (homoseksuálʹnyj) — slang: homosexual
- Ukrainian: ґейський (gejsʹkyj) — slang: homosexual
- Ukrainian: лесбійський (lesbijsʹkyj) — slang: homosexual
- Zazaki: nerimako — slang: homosexual
- Arabic: كْوِير (kwīr) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Bulgarian: извратен (izvraten) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Catalan: marica — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Chinese Mandarin: 酷儿 (kù'ér) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Chinese Mandarin: 酷兒 /酷儿 (kù'ér) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Danish: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Esperanto: kvira — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Esperanto: GLATa — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Finnish: sateenkaari- — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Finnish: pervo — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- French: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Georgian: ქვიარი (kviari) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- German: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Hebrew: קְוִּויר (kuír) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Hebrew: קווירית — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Hungarian: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Icelandic: hinsegin — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Indonesian: kwir — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Indonesian: belok — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Irish: aiteach — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Japanese: クィア (kuia) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Latvian: kvīrs — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Macedonian: настран (nastran) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Malay: kuira — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Norwegian: skeiv — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Polish: queerowy — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Portuguese: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Réunion Creole French: kwir — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Northern Sami: bonju — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Spanish: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Spanish: torcido — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Spanish: cuir — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Spanish: non heterosexual — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Swedish: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Tamil: குயர் (kuyar) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Tamil: பால்புது (pālputu) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Tamil: பால்புதுமை (pālputumai) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Turkish: kuir — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Turkish: queer — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Ukrainian: кві́рний (kvírnyj) — pertaining to non-normative sexuality
- Czech: děsně — slang: very
- Finnish: pirun — slang: very
- Finnish: vähän — slang: very
- French: trop — slang: very
- French: diablement — slang: very
- Italian: maledettamente — slang: very
- Spanish: muy — slang: very
- Swedish: grymt — slang: very
- Swedish: fett — slang: very
- Dutch: janet — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Dutch: nicht — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Esperanto: kviro — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Finnish: vinokas — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Finnish: pervo — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Finnish: queer — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Finnish: kveeri — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- German: Queers — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Hebrew: קְוִּויר (kuir) — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Tamil: குயர் (kuyar) — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Tamil: பால்புதுமையினர் (pālputumaiyiṉar) — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Turkish: kuir — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Ukrainian: квір (kvir) — slang: person of atypical sexuality or sexual identity
- Esperanto: kvirigi — to apply queer theory
Real reading context