Stranger
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
Definitions
2 meaningsA person that you do not know or have no acquaintance with.
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
A person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar.
A stranger offered to help me carry my groceries.
💡 Simply: A stranger is someone you don't know, like someone you meet on the street or at a party. Imagine you're at a park and see a person you've never seen before - that's a stranger!
👶 For kids: A stranger is someone you don't know.
More Examples
Be careful when talking to strangers online.
She was afraid of the stranger's shadow in the alley.
How It's Used
"I met a stranger on the train today."
"The stranger in the woods seemed ominous."
Not previously met, known, or experienced.
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
Unfamiliar; not previously encountered.
They were exploring stranger territory.
💡 Simply: Something stranger is like a situation that's new or you don't know much about. It is something unusual or unfamiliar.
👶 For kids: Something stranger is like a new thing or place you haven't seen before.
More Examples
The museum held some stranger artifacts.
The stranger world outside was different than the one in books.
How It's Used
"The feeling of being in a stranger place was unsettling."
"He found himself in a stranger land."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
a stranger in a strange land
A person who feels out of place in an unfamiliar environment.
"He felt like a stranger in a strange land when he moved to Japan."
From Middle English *straunger*, from Old French *estranger* ('foreigner'), from Latin *extrāneus* ('foreign, external'), from *extrā* ('outside').
The word 'stranger' has been used since the 13th century, initially to refer to foreigners.
Memory tip
Think of 'range' (the distance you have with this person): they're out of your range of familiarity.
Word Origin
"outside, external"