What does "quirk" mean?
An idiosyncrasy; a slight glitch, a mannerism; something unusual about the manner or style of something or someone.
Quirk
/kwɜːk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An idiosyncrasy; a slight glitch, a mannerism; something unusual about the manner or style of something or someone.
- Grammar: quirk is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: oddity, aberration, abnormality, alter course.
- Useful contrasts: conformity, continue as planned, flatten.
- Usage evidence: A quirk of the software was that it had to be restarted after every new entry.
How to use "quirk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "quirk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "quirk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "quirk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "quirk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "quirk" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "oddity" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "quirk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An idiosyncrasy; a slight glitch, a mannerism; something unusual about the manner or style of something or someone.
"The car steers cleanly, but the gearshift has a few quirks."
- 2 a narrow groove beside a beading wordnet
- 3 An acute angle dividing a molding; a groove that runs lengthwise between the upper part of a molding and a soffit.
- 4 a strange attitude or habit wordnet
- 5 A quibble, evasion, or subterfuge. archaic
"Had you no quirk / To avoid gullage, sir, by such a creature?"
Verb
- 1 To (cause to) move with a wry jerk. ambitransitive
"He quirked an eyebrow."
- 2 Alternative form of querk. alt-of, alternative
- 3 twist or curve abruptly wordnet
- 4 To furnish with a quirk or channel. transitive
- 5 To alter in a unique and unusual way.
"But in the dream the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer, whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all mankind."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To use verbal tricks or quibbles. archaic, intransitive
"I have stung her and wrung her, The venom is working;— And if you had hung her With canting and quirking, She could not be deader than she will be soon"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
"Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) has introduced a bill to address power outages caused by metallic film balloons when they come into contact with powerlines."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"A quirk of the software was that it had to be restarted after every new entry."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quirk"?
Common synonyms include: oddity, aberration, abnormality, alter course, anamorphism, anamorphosis.
How do you use "quirk" in a sentence?
A quirk of the software was that it had to be restarted after every new entry.
How do you pronounce "quirk"?
Pronounced /kwɜːk/.
Etymology
First attested in the 1540s. Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle English *querk, from Old Norse kverk (“a bend or angle, especially below a cross-beam or below the chin, the bight of an axe", also "throat, gullet”), from Proto-Germanic *kwerkō (“throat, gullet”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- (“to devour; maw”). Cognate with Scots querk (“throat", also "any hollow in the body, such as an armpit, groin, instep, etc.”), Icelandic kverk (“interior angle”). Also partially from dialectal quirk, querk (“a whim, fancy, fuss, huff, complaint", also "to peevishly grumble, grunt, sigh, croak, die”), from Middle English querken, *quirken (“to choke”), from Old Norse kvirkja (“to choke, strangle”), from the same origin above. Related to dialectal querken, quirken (“to choke”). Likely not related to queer.