Standard Lemma guide

quirky

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkwɜːki/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ki
  • CMU ARPABET: K W ER1 K IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She has a quirky laugh.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

informal terms; strikingly unconventional

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: far-out, kinky, offbeat, way-out

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From quirk + -y.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: шантав (šantav) — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Dutch: eigenaardig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Dutch: merkwaardig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Dutch: typisch — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Dutch: apart — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Finnish: omituinen — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Finnish: kummallinen — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • French: excentrique — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • French: original — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • French: cocasse — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • German: schrullig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • German: eigenartig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • German: skurril — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Greek: αλλόκοτος (allókotos) — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Indonesian: kocak — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Polish: dziwaczny — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Portuguese: peculiar — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Romanian: caraghios — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Russian: причу́дливый (pričúdlivyj) — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Spanish: estrafalario — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Spanish: hacerse el interesante — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Swedish: egendomlig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Swedish: besynnerlig — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Turkish: acaip — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Turkish: garip — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Ottoman Turkish: دلی (deli) — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies
  • Ukrainian: вига́дливий (vyhádlyvyj) — given to quirks or idiosyncrasies