Strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, queer, quaint, outlandish, curious can mean varying from what is ordinary, usual, and to be expected.
Strange , the most comprehensive of these terms, suggests unfamiliarity; it may apply to what is foreign, unnatural, inexplicable, or new.
Singular distinctively implies difference from every other instance of its kind and therefore stresses individuality.
Often, however, the word suggests strangeness that puzzles one or piques one’s curiosity.
Unique implies not only singularity but the fact of being unparalleled without suggesting, as singular does, a strange or baffling character or quality.
Peculiar (see also CHARACTERISTIC ) implies marked or conspicuous distinctiveness in character or quality. Often peculiar is employed where one of the succeeding terms (as eccentric or queer ) might well be used.
Eccentric implies divergence from the beaten track; erratic adds to eccentric a stronger implication of caprice and unpredictability.
Odd stresses a departure from the usual, the normal, or the regular; it sometimes suggests an element of the fantastic; queer even more strongly implies eccentricity and often suggests that the thing so qualified is dubious or questionable.
Quaint implies pleasant or especially old-fashioned oddness; outlandish , uncouth or bizarre oddness.
Curious usually implies extraordinary oddness or a singularity that invites close attention, study, or inquiry. When the word is employed as an equivalent of one or another of the foregoing words it tends to retain to a greater or less degree the notion of extraordinariness and often suggests that the thing so described merits notice or investigation.