adjectiveadverb

merkwürdig

strange

Etwas, das ungewöhnlich oder seltsam wirkt und Aufmerksamkeit erregt.

Definition & meaning

merkwürdig means strange, odd, or peculiar. It describes something unusual or difficult to understand, often with a slightly suspicious or unsettling implication.

It can also mean remarkable or noteworthy, though this sense is now less common and may sound literary or old-fashioned.

Das ist ein merkwürdiger Zufall. — That is a strange coincidence.
Sie verhielt sich merkwürdig. — She behaved oddly.

Grammar & Word origin

merkwürdig is an adjective and can also be used adverbially, as in the second example above.

Comparative: merkwürdiger
Superlative: am merkwürdigsten

It is formed from merken , originally meaning “to notice,” and würdig , meaning “worthy.” Its original sense was “worthy of notice.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

seltsam — strange or odd; a close synonym.
sonderbar — peculiar or curious, sometimes suggesting something more unusual.
ungewöhnlich — unusual; more neutral and does not necessarily imply that something is suspicious.
bemerkenswert — noteworthy or remarkable; corresponds to the less common, positive or neutral sense of merkwürdig.

Antonyms