peculiar /pi'kjи:Иэг/ [adj] strange and slightly unpleasant: This meat tastes peculiar, i The walls were painted a very peculiar shade of green.
mysterious /mi'sti^iss/ [adj] use this
about something that people know very little about and that is difficult to explain or understand: His father died of a mysterious illness. I I kept getting mysterious phone calls where the caller would hang up as soon as I answered. I his mysterious disappearance mysteriously {acta] Mysterious/y, no- one had noticed anyone leave or enter the room.
weird /w)3rd/ |adj) a weird experience, feeling, sight, or sound is strange and very different from what you are used to: She always wears really weird clothes. I a weird dream I It's a weird feeling to go back to a place that you lived in a long time ago.
ironic /аГгошкЦаГга:-/ [adj] an ironic situation seems strange and amusing, because something happens that you would not expect at alclass="underline" Her car was stolen from outside the police station, which is pretty ironic.
it is ironic that It's ironic that athletes are often such unhealthy people.
frightening: Pearl was a strange girl who never played with the other children. 1 He's very strange - you never really know what he's thinking, strangely [ас/у] Conor was acting very strangely last night - do you think he's
A
STRANGE THINGS AND EVENTS
MACK
STRANGE
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see also
all right?
Don't confuse a strange person (-someone who behaves in a strange way) and a stranger (^someone you have never met before).
/цппу/odd fAni, Dd||a:d; [odjj especially British someone who is funny or odd behaves strangely and is difficult to understand. Did Anna warn you that her aunt is rather ... well, rather odd? I He's a bit funny - sometimes he's very friendly, other times he just ignores you.
mysterious rm'sturias [ad/1 a mysterious person is someone that people know very little about, and who therefore seems strange or interesting: The package had been left outside the door by a mysterious visitor.
eccentric /iksentrik/ [adj] an eccentric
person has strange and slightly crazy habits or ideas, which people find amusing: Our neighbour is an eccentric old lady who has about 25 cats.
719 STRANGE THINGS AND EVENTS
weird ,wi3rd/ [adj] informal a weird person is very strange and makes you feel frightened or uncomfortable: She's living with this really weird guy who's into witchcraft and black magic.
strange person/ behaviour
strange /streindj/ [adj] someone who is strange behaves differently from most people, and seems unusual or a little
SURPRISING/ SURPRISED
FRIGHTENING/ FRIGHTENED
When you see US, go to the ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATION section
U things that happen which cannot be explained by science
the paranormal piuro пэ:гпь?1 [n
singular] strange things that happen or exist but cannot be explained by science She has written two books about the paranormal - one on UFOs. and the other on poltergeists. I There seems to be a growing interest in the paranormal. paranormal \adj\ paranormal experiences
supernatural ,м1:роГ1ше1рго1< sjui-j
sin- [adj] supernatural powers, creatures. or events cannot be explained by science, and are therefore believed to be connected with magic or gods: a horror movie about a little girl with supernatural powers I supernatural beings the supernatural!" singular) His stories mingle realism with the supernatural.
mystery misuri [n C] something strange that no-one can understand or explain: Her disappearance would remain forever a mystery. + of the mystery of the lost city of Atlantis
mysterious mi'sturios [adj] if something is mysterious, no-one can understand it or explain it: the mystenous deaths of three nuclear scientists in separate incidents mysteriously [adv\ Mysteriously, the food on the plates was still warm, but the ship was deserted.
Еэ creatures from other parts of the universe
alien eilion/ [n С] a alien
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creature that is from another part of the universe: Thousands of Americans claim to haue been kidnapped by aliens and taken to their spaceships. alien [adj] The photograph seems to show a UFO above the city. Is this evidence of an alien uisit? I creatures from an alien planet
UFO ju:f*). ju: et 'ao; [n Cj a strange object in the sky that people believe is a space vehicle from another planet: There have been several UFO sightings in this area.
u spirits and ghosts
ghost goDst: [n C] a ghost
dead person who appears again after they have died, either as ar. image that you see or as something that you feel is really there: Do you believe in ghosts? I There was a ghost at the end of my bed - a woman in a long, white dress.
the ghost of sb The church is haunted by the ghost of a young man who was killed there on his wedding day.
Spirit spirit [n C] the part of a person that, according to some people's beliefs, continues to live after they have died: In Japan, people believe that the spirits of the dead return to earth every summer, during the Obon festival. evil spirits (=spirits that want to harm people) They wear these charms to protect themselves against evil spirits.
poltergeist /'рпкэ^аыЦ'рэЫ-/ [n С] a
type of ghost you cannot see, which moves furniture and throws things around: The poltergeist threw books around the room and smashed plates.
UFO
flaunt /hoint/ (и T] if a ghost haunts a place, it appears there often: The ghost of
the murdered prince still haunts the castle.
be haunted by sth The wood is a spooky, secret place, said to be haunted by a headless man on a horse.
haunted 'h^nt^d \adj\ a place that is
haunted has ghosts in it. a haunted house I The people refused to go into the forest alone because they thought it иas hcunted.
ghostly 'goostli ladj] looking like а ghost, or making you think of ghosts ghostly figure (=a ghost, or something that could be a ghost) A ghost\y figure hovered at the top of the stairs. ghostly voice/hand!footsteps She felt the touch of a ghostly hand on her shoulder.