stranger
/ˈstreɪndʒə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstreɪndʒər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstrān-jər/ (ame, mw)
stranger — noun
- strangersingular
- strangersplural
1. someone whose identity is unknown to you because the two of you have never met
someone whose identity is unknown to you because the two of you have never met
Camila was taught never to accept sweets from a stranger.
collocation: accept [something] from a stranger
A stranger at the bus stop asked Liang for directions to the library.
Felix felt uneasy when a stranger sat down next to him on the empty bench.
Anong offered her seat on the bus to a stranger carrying heavy bags.
Baraka warned his children not to share personal information with strangers online.
- acquaintance
someone you know slightly but not as a close friend
- friend
a person with whom you have a close relationship
文法句型
stranger + verb
a/the stranger
用法筆記
Frequently used in safety advice and warnings directed at children ('don't talk to strangers'). The word itself carries no judgment about the person — it only describes the absence of an acquaintance.
常見錯誤
2. someone who finds themselves in a town, city, or social setting that they have n
someone who finds themselves in a town, city, or social setting that they have never experienced before
Layla felt like a stranger in the big city on her first day at work.
The villagers welcomed the stranger who arrived at their doorstep during the storm.
Diya was a stranger to the customs of her new school during the first week.
The small town was friendly, and no one treated Ziad as a stranger.
Iker was a stranger to the ways of the farm when he first arrived.
文法句型
a stranger to [place/situation]
用法筆記
Often appears in the pattern 'a stranger to [place/situation]' to mean someone who is unfamiliar with that setting. A positive variation — 'be no stranger to [something]' — means to be very experienced or familiar with it.
常見錯誤
stranger — adjective
- strangerpositive
- strangerercomparative
- strangerestsuperlative
1. connected with or coming from a different country or culture; not native, famili
connected with or coming from a different country or culture; not native, familiar, or well-known
Marta observed the stranger customs of the remote village with quiet curiosity.
archaic/literary register: stranger + noun (customs)
The stranger language of the new country made Talia feel isolated at first.
A stranger smell drifted through the market, unlike anything the farmer had known before.
The stranger rhythms of the ceremony confused the anthropologist until a guide explained them.
- foreign
standard modern term; refers specifically to another country
- alien
stronger; suggests something completely different or unknown
- unfamiliar
less formal; can describe anything not previously known
- native
belonging to one's own country or place of origin
文法句型
stranger + noun
用法筆記
Rare and literary in modern English. The usual contemporary alternatives are 'foreign', 'alien', or 'unfamiliar'. This form is mostly found in older texts or poetic writing.
stranger — verb
- strangerpresent simple I / you / we / they
- strangers3rd person singular
- strangering-ing form
- strangeredpast simple
1. to make someone feel disconnected, unwelcome, or separated from others, especial
to make someone feel disconnected, unwelcome, or separated from others, especially from people they were once close to
The old quarrel had strangered the two brothers from one another for decades.
archaic verb; followed by 'from'
His cruel words strangered him from everyone who had once loved him.
The new policy strangered the officials from the very people they were meant to serve.
Years of silence had strangered the once-close cousins from each other.
- reconcile
to restore a friendly relationship after a conflict
文法句型
stranger + object
stranger [someone] from [someone]
用法筆記
Archaic in modern English. The verbs 'estrange' and 'alienate' are the standard contemporary equivalents. Learners will almost never need to use this form actively.