atypical

/ˌeɪˈtɪpɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌeɪˈtɪpɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-kəl/ (ame, mw)

atypical — adjective

  • atypicalpositive
  • more atypicalcomparative
  • most atypicalsuperlative

1. different from what is usual or expected for a particular type of person or thin

1.形容詞B2
釋義

different from what is usual or expected for a particular type of person or thing, especially when compared to most others in the same group

例句

Noor's teaching style was atypical — she used games instead of textbooks in every lesson.

atypical — modifies a noun phrase

The librarian noticed an atypical pattern: several books were returned with pages torn out.

同義詞
  • unusual

    more general and less formal; 'atypical' specifically implies not fitting an expected category

  • abnormal

    stronger negative connotation, common in medical or psychological contexts

  • unconventional

    focuses on social or artistic norms rather than statistical patterns

  • irregular

    suggests deviation from a rule, schedule, or standard pattern

反義詞
  • typical

    having the usual qualities of a particular group or thing

  • normal

    conforming to the standard or usual pattern

  • conventional

    following accepted customs or standards

文法句型

be + atypical

atypical + noun

用法筆記

Common in academic and professional writing. Unlike 'strange' or 'weird', 'atypical' carries no strong negative judgment — it simply notes a difference from the expected pattern. For the adverb form, use 'atypically' (e.g., 'an atypically warm winter').

常見錯誤

❌The weather is atypical hot today.
✅The weather is atypically hot today.
💡'atypical' is an adjective; use the adverb 'atypically' before other adjectives.
❌This is a very atypical case.
✅This is a highly atypical case.
💡'very' sounds unnatural with 'atypical'; use 'highly', 'quite', or 'rather' instead.