Queer - English meaning

adjective

Deviating from what is normal or usual, typically in a way that is undesirable or worrying.

Usage examples:

The illness is recognizable from the patient's abnormal behaviour

adjective

Not usual or average

Usage examples:

We had an abnormal amount of snow., he has an abnormal heartbeat., [ c ] no abnormalities showed up…

adjective

Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

Usage examples:

An anomalous situation

adjective

Different from what is usual, or not in agreement with something else and therefore not satisfactory

Usage examples:

In a multicultural society is it not anomalous to have a blasphemy law that only protects one relig…

adjective

Not representative of a type, group, or class.

Usage examples:

A sample of people who are rather atypical of the target audience

adjective

Not typical; different from most others of its type

Usage examples:

This game is very atypical of how we played this year.

adjective

Very strange or unusual.

Usage examples:

A bizarre situation

adjective

Strange and unusual

Usage examples:

That party was too bizarre for me!

noun

A plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts.

Usage examples:

The vines suffered blight and disease

verb

Have a severely detrimental effect on.

Usage examples:

The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

noun

Something that spoils or destroys or causes damage

Usage examples:

[ u ] the city stopped urban blight by rebuilding neighborhoods., poverty and disease blighted thei…

verb

Cause severe and disabling damage to; deprive of the ability to function normally.

Usage examples:

Developing countries are crippled by their debts

noun

A person with a severe limitation of a specified kind.

Usage examples:

An emotional cripple

verb

Deprive of the use of a limb, especially a leg

adjective

Eager to know or learn something.

Usage examples:

I began to be curious about the whereabouts of the bride and groom

adjective

Interested in learning about people or things around you

Usage examples:

[ + to infinitive ] i’m curious to see what’s going to happen on the political scene., a curious fi…

noun

Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.

Usage examples:

Bombing caused extensive damage to the town

verb

Inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function.

Usage examples:

The car was badly damaged in the accident

verb

To harm or spoil something

Usage examples:

Many buildings were badly damaged by the earthquake., news reports damaged the senator’s reputation…

verb

End the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

Usage examples:

The room had been destroyed by fire

verb

To damage something, esp. in a violent way, so that it can no longer be used or no longer exists

Usage examples:

You can use a shredder to destroy old bank statements., losing his job seemed to completely destroy…

verb

Destroy or ruin.

Usage examples:

The city was devastated by a huge earthquake

verb

To cause great damage or suffering to something or someone, or to violently destroy a place

Usage examples:

Waves of corporate downsizing have devastated employee morale., i was so devastated i was crying co…

adjective

Not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature, form, or quality.

Usage examples:

You can play this game in different ways

adjective

Not the same

Usage examples:

Monet and other impressionists painted the same scene at different times of day to discover how the…

verb

Interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or problem.

Usage examples:

Flooding disrupted rail services

verb

To prevent something, esp. a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected

Usage examples:

A heavy fall of snow disrupted traffic during the rush hour., [ c ] strikes threaten more disruptio…

verb

To prevent something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected

Usage examples:

Meetings with her lawyers did not disrupt the schedule., commerce could be disrupted in a cyberterr…

adjective

(of a person or their behaviour) unconventional and slightly strange.

Usage examples:

He noted her eccentric appearance

noun

A person of unconventional and slightly strange views or behaviour.

Usage examples:

He's seen as a local eccentric

adjective

Strange or unusual, sometimes in an amusing way

Usage examples:

Eccentric behavior, she was an elderly eccentric who lived with 25 cats., [ u ] although his reputa…

verb

Put (someone or something) at risk or in danger.

Usage examples:

He was driving in a manner likely to endanger life

verb

To put someone or something in a situation in which it is likely to be harmed, damaged, or destroyed

Usage examples:

Revealing that information might endanger our national security.

verb

Prevent (something considered wrong or undesirable) from succeeding.

Usage examples:

A brave policewoman foiled the armed robbery

noun

The track or scent of a hunted animal.

noun

Metal hammered or rolled into a thin flexible sheet, used chiefly for covering or wrapping food.

Usage examples:

Aluminium foil

adjective

Causing laughter or amusement; humorous.

Usage examples:

A funny story

noun

Comic strips in newspapers.

Usage examples:

I read the sports page, funnies, and editorial

An account of an amusing incident

adjective

(of a person) homosexual (used especially of a man).

Usage examples:

The city's gay and lesbian people

noun

A homosexual person (typically referring to a man).

Usage examples:

The capital is a popular destination for gays and lesbians from all over the world

adjective

Homosexual

Usage examples:

Gay rights, her gay, lively personality made her attractive to everyone who knew her., the law bann…

noun

Physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted.

Usage examples:

I didn't mean to cause him any harm

verb

Physically injure.

Usage examples:

The villains didn't harm him

noun

Physical or other injury or damage

Usage examples:

Missing a meal once in a while won’t do you any harm., fortunately, she didn’t come to any harm whe…

verb

Make it difficult for (someone) to do something or for (something) to happen.

Usage examples:

Language barriers hindered communication between scientists

adjective

(especially of a bodily part) rear; hind.

Usage examples:

The hinder end of its body

verb

To limit the ability of someone to do something, or to limit the development of something

Usage examples:

A poor diet can hinder mental and physical growth., i don’t know if these changes are going to help…

adjective

Relating to gay people.

Usage examples:

I'd taken courses in literature and language - from latin drama to modern poetry, from restoration …

noun

A gay person.

Usage examples:

Many of us were frustrated by what seemed like the complacency of older gays, just as they had once…

adjective

Sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to people of one's own sex.

Usage examples:

Campaigning by homosexual men and women for an end to social and legal discrimination

noun

Sexually attracted to people of one's own sex.

verb

Cause pain or injury to.

Usage examples:

Ow! you're hurting me!

adjective

Physically injured.

Usage examples:

He complained of a hurt leg and asked his trainer to stop the fight

noun

Physical injury; harm.

Usage examples:

Rolling properly into a fall minimizes hurt

verb

Weaken or damage (something, especially a faculty or function).

Usage examples:

A noisy job could permanently impair their hearing

verb

To damage or weaken something so that it is less effective

Usage examples:

Lack of sleep impaired her ability to think clearly., [ c ] the law bans discrimination against any…

verb

Put at risk of being harmed, injured, or destroyed.

Usage examples:

They advised against tax increases for fear of imperilling the recovery

verb

Do physical harm or damage to (someone).

Usage examples:

The explosion injured several people

verb

Cause bodily harm to

verb

Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.

Usage examples:

A devaluation of the dollar would jeopardize new york's position as a financial centre

verb

To cause something to be harmed or damaged, or to put something in danger

Usage examples:

She knew that failing her exams could jeopardize her whole future.

verb

To put something such as a plan or system in danger of being harmed or destroyed

Usage examples:

The rate increase may jeopardize economic recovery.

noun

A gay woman.

Usage examples:

In a few decades people will look at the bigotry against gays and lesbians as medieval.

adjective

Relating to gay women or to homosexuality in women.

Usage examples:

A lesbian relationship

adjective

From or relating to the island of lesbos.

adjective

Abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender: relating to or characteristic of people who are not heterosexual (= sexually or romantically attracted to women if you are a man, and men if you are a woman) or who are not cisgender (= having a gender that matches the body you were born with)

Usage examples:

He was an early campaigner for lgbt rights., lgbt organizations led the charge against the legislat…

verb

Impair the quality or appearance of; spoil.

Usage examples:

Violence marred a number of new year celebrations

abbreviation

March.

verb

To spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable

Usage examples:

Water will mar the finish of polished wood.

adjective

Different to what is usual or expected; strange.

Usage examples:

The neighbours thought him very odd

adjective

Strange or unexpected

Usage examples:

An odd person, that’s odd – i thought i left my glasses on the table but they’re not here., he’s go…

adjective

Looking or sounding bizarre or unfamiliar.

Usage examples:

Outlandish, brightly coloured clothes

adjective

Strange and unusual

Usage examples:

She liked to dress in outlandish clothes.

adjective

Different to what is normal or expected; strange.

Usage examples:

He gave her some very peculiar looks

noun

A parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch or an archbishop.

Usage examples:

Deans and canons of royal peculiars, notably westminster abbey and windsor

adjective

Unusual and strange

Usage examples:

The copy editor will check type size and technical details to see if anything looks peculiar., kath…

noun

The physical destruction or disintegration of something or the state of disintegrating or being destroyed.

Usage examples:

A large white house falling into gentle ruin

verb

Reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration.

Usage examples:

The castle was ruined when dynamite was used to demolish one of the corner towers

verb

To spoil or destroy something

Usage examples:

It would be a shame to ruin such a beautiful place., that guy isn’t going to ruin my life.

verb

Decisively put an end to.

Usage examples:

A spokesman has scotched the rumours

noun

A wedge placed under a wheel or other rolling object to prevent it moving or slipping.

noun

A cut or score in skin or another surface.

Usage examples:

A scotch in his face

noun

A hole in a ship's side to carry water overboard from the deck.

Usage examples:

Nylon panels on the sides of the geckos eject water like scuppers on a tramp steamer - hop out of t…

verb

Sink (a ship or its crew) deliberately.

Usage examples:

The ship was scuppered and seriously damaged

verb

To sink your own ship on purpose

Usage examples:

Arriving late for the interview scuppered my chances of getting the job.

verb

Break or cause to break suddenly and violently into pieces.

Usage examples:

Bullets riddled the bar top, glasses shattered, bottles exploded

verb

Violently break (something) into pieces.

Usage examples:

The thief smashed a window to get into the car

noun

An act or sound of something smashing.

Usage examples:

He heard the smash of glass

adverb

With a sudden, violent shattering.

Usage examples:

They were together for an instant, and then smash it was all gone

verb

Diminish or destroy the value or quality of.

Usage examples:

I wouldn't want to spoil your fun

noun

Goods stolen or taken forcibly from a person or place.

Usage examples:

The looters carried their spoils away

verb

To destroy or damage something, or to become destroyed or damaged

Usage examples:

[ t ] the oil spill spoiled five miles of coastline., [ t ] don’t tell me how it ends, you’ll spoil…

adjective

Unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain.

Usage examples:

Children have some strange ideas

verb

Prevent (someone) from accomplishing something.

Usage examples:

He never did anything to thwart his father

noun

A structural crosspiece forming a seat for a rower in a boat.

Usage examples:

Her hull is painted white with blue trim on the thwarts.

preposition

From one side to another side of (an area); across.

Usage examples:

A pink-tinged cloud spread thwart the shore

adjective

Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.

Usage examples:

An uncanny feeling that she was being watched

adjective

Strange or mysterious; difficult or impossible to explain

Usage examples:

He has an uncanny ability to pick a winner., barb’s uncanny resemblance to tia is scary.

adjective

Not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed.

Usage examples:

His unconventional approach to life

verb

Unfasten, untie, or loosen (something).

Usage examples:

The knot was difficult to undo

noun

A feature of a computer program that allows a user to cancel or reverse the last command executed.

Usage examples:

The undo command

verb

Cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect

adjective

Not expected or regarded as likely to happen.

Usage examples:

His death was totally unexpected

adjective

Not expected; surprising

Usage examples:

What an unexpected treat to meet you here!

adjective

Not known or recognized.

Usage examples:

He felt a stranger among the crowd of unfamiliar faces

adjective

Contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted; not orthodox.

Usage examples:

He frequently upset other scholars with his unorthodox views

adjective

(of behavior, ideas, or methods) different from what is usual or expected

Usage examples:

He has an unorthodox teaching style.

adjective

Different from what is usual or expected in behaviour, ideas, methods, etc.

Usage examples:

Unorthodox approaches/methods/practices regulators began to scrutinize the company's unorthodox acc…

adjective

Not having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing; uncharacteristic.

Usage examples:

He considers the film untypical of college movies

adjective

Not showing all the characteristics that you would usually expect from a particular group of things or people, or from a particular person

Usage examples:

Her angry outburst was untypical; she's usually a very quiet woman., it is not untypical of girls o…

adjective

Not habitually or commonly occurring or done.

Usage examples:

It was unusual for dennis to be late

adjective

Different from what is usual or expected

Usage examples:

I was actually on time, which is unusual for me.

adjective

Relating to the planet uranus.

Usage examples:

Uranian moons are traditionally given shakespearean names

noun

(in science fiction) an imagined inhabitant of uranus.

noun

A gay man.

Usage examples:

I suppose in his personal life he considered himself a uranian

adjective

Suggesting something supernatural; unearthly.

Usage examples:

Weird, inhuman sounds

noun

A person's destiny.

verb

Induce a sense of disbelief or alienation in someone.

Usage examples:

Blue eyes weirded him out, and ivan's were especially creepy

noun

The destruction of a ship at sea; a shipwreck.

Usage examples:

The survivors of the wreck

verb

Destroy or severely damage (a structure, vehicle, or similar).

Usage examples:

The blast wrecked 100 houses

verb

Something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation