peculiar

/pɪˈkjuːliə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [pəkjˈuljɚ] /pɪˈkjuːliər/ (ame, ipa) · [pəkjˈuljɚ] /pi-ˈkyül-yər/ (ame, mw)

peculiar — adjective

  • peculiarpositive
  • more peculiarcomparative
  • most peculiarsuperlative

1. noticeably different from what is normal, so that it seems strange and may make

1.形容詞B2
釋義

noticeably different from what is normal, so that it seems strange and may make you feel slightly uneasy.

例句

Everyone thought it was peculiar that the shop stayed open at midnight.

it is peculiar that + clause

Mina gave me a peculiar smile, then hid the letter in her bag.

collocation: peculiar smile

同義詞
  • strange

    the nearest everyday word; less formal than 'peculiar'

  • odd

    often suggests something puzzling rather than strongly alarming

  • weird

    more informal and often stronger in tone

反義詞
  • normal

    matching what people usually expect

  • ordinary

    not special, surprising, or out of place

文法句型

it is peculiar that + clause

find it peculiar that + clause

用法筆記

Often used in the patterns 'it is peculiar that ...' and 'find it peculiar that ...'. Compared with sense 2, this sense focuses on oddness or discomfort, not on something being special to one place or person.

常見錯誤

❌I was peculiar by the noise from the attic.
✅The noise from the attic sounded peculiar to me.
💡'peculiar' describes the thing that seems strange, not the person who notices it.

2. existing only in a certain person, place, group, or thing, rather than being sha

2.形容詞C2
釋義

existing only in a certain person, place, group, or thing, rather than being shared more widely.

例句

This bright blue butterfly is peculiar to the mountain forests of Taiwan.

peculiar to + place

The sharp smell is peculiar to this cheese and disappears after cooking.

peculiar to + thing

同義詞
  • characteristic

    describes a typical feature; not always exclusive in the same strong way

  • distinctive

    emphasises a quality that helps something stand out

  • unique

    stronger; suggests one of a kind rather than simply limited to a group

反義詞
  • common

    shared by many people, places, or things

  • general

    not limited to one special case

文法句型

peculiar to + noun

用法筆記

Most often follows the noun with 'to', especially in academic or descriptive writing. Distinguish from sense 1: here the idea is that something belongs only to that person, place, or type, not that it seems odd.

常見錯誤

❌This bird is peculiar in Taiwan.
✅This bird is peculiar to Taiwan.
💡use 'peculiar to' when something is found only in one place, group, or thing.