An oddball is someone who acts, thinks, or looks noticeably different from most people in an unusual or quirky way. The kid who brings a pet lizard to show-and-tell when everyone else brings photos, or the friend who collects vintage typewriters instead of video games: they're oddballs.

The word isn't usually mean-spirited. It's more observational, pointing out that someone doesn't quite fit the usual pattern. An oddball scientist might wear mismatched socks and hum while working on experiments. An oddball relative might serve dessert before dinner just because they feel like it.

What makes someone an oddball is being different in a way that stands out or surprises people. Someone who likes reading isn't an oddball, but someone who reads cookbooks for fun even though they never cook might be.

Being called an oddball can actually be a compliment. Many inventors, artists, and creative thinkers were considered oddballs because they saw the world differently. The Wright brothers were oddballs for thinking humans could fly. Dr. Seuss was an oddball for writing stories that broke all the rules of children's books.

You can also use oddball as an adjective to describe unusual things: an oddball hobby, an oddball idea, or an oddball solution to a problem.