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Word Origin Old English wyrd ‘destiny’, of Germanic origin. The adjective (late Middle English) originally meant ‘having the power to control destiny’, and was used especially in the Weird Sisters, originally referring to the Fates, later the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth; the latter use gave rise to the sense ‘unearthly’ (early 19th cent.).
Word Origin Old English wyrd ‘destiny’, of Germanic origin. The adjective (late Middle English) originally meant ‘having the power to control destiny’, and was used especially in the Weird Sisters, originally referring to the Fates, later the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth; the latter use gave rise to the sense ‘unearthly’ (early 19th cent.).
Define weird. weird synonyms, weird pronunciation, weird translation, English dictionary definition of weird. involving or suggesting the supernatural: a weird glowing object in the sky; fantastic; bizarre: That’s a weird costume you are wearing.
UNUSUAL definition: 1. different from others of the same type in a way that is surprising, interesting, or attractive…. Learn more.
Weird definition: strange; odd; bizarre. See examples of WEIRD used in a sentence.
STRANGE definition: 1. unusual and unexpected, or difficult to understand: 2. to feel uncomfortable and not normal or…. Learn more.
Jun 27, 2024 · Weird was obsolete by the 16th century in English. It survived in Middle Scots, whence Shakespeare borrowed it in naming the Weird Sisters (originally Weyward Sisters, the Three Witches), reintroducing it to English. The senses “abnormal”, “strange” etc. arose via reinterpretation of Weird Sisters and date from after this reintroduction.
