SKIP TO CONTENT

stranger

/ˈstreɪndʒər/
/ˈstreɪndʒə/
IPA guide

Other forms: strangers

A stranger is someone you don't know or who doesn't belong in a specific place.

Parents tell their kids, "Don't talk to strangers." That's because strangers are people they don't know, who could be dangerous. Just like strange things are odd or weird, a stranger is unknown and therefore potentially scary. Also, anyone out of place can be considered a stranger. A fireman in a police station is a stranger, and a mascot in a scientific lab is a stranger. Either type of stranger is likely to make someone say, "Who's that?"

Definitions of stranger
  1. noun
    an individual that one is not acquainted with
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    acquaintance
    a person with whom you are acquainted
    type of:
  2. noun
    anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
    synonyms: alien, unknown
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    acquaintance
    a person with whom you are acquainted
    types:
    foreigner, outsider
    someone who is excluded from or is not a member of a group
    transalpine
    one living on or coming from the other side of the Alps from Italy
    type of:
    interloper, intruder, trespasser
    someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
Pronunciation
US
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
UK
/ˈstreɪndʒə/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘stranger'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family