奇異|きいkii[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. na-adjective, no-adjectiveodd; strange; queer; peculiar
   岩いわが風化ふうかして奇異きいな形かたちになる。↗

   The rocks are weathered into fantastic forms.

• Synonym風変わりふうがわりNeutralA look or personality that stands out in a mildly amusing way; common in speech and writing. 「奇異」 more strongly suggests something that makes people stare.
• Synonym奇怪きかいWrittenWritten/formal prose; suggests something bizarre, hard to explain or even suspicious, as in 「奇怪な事件」. Stronger than 「奇異」 in defying common sense.
• Synonym妙みょうNeutralUsually as 「妙な」; an oddness you cannot quite put your finger on. Also means skillful, as in 「妙案」. More casual than 「奇異」 and very common in speech.
• Synonym変へんCasualThe everyday word for something strange or not right; colloquial and very wide in use. 「奇異」 is the more literary choice.
• SynonymおかしいCasualCommon in speech; covers not being right or normal, and also being funny. 「奇異」 only means odd and carries no sense of amusement.
• Synonym奇妙きみょうNeutralStrange and puzzling, as in 「奇妙な体験」. More common than 「奇異」 and fine in both speech and writing; leans toward the mysterious and inexplicable.
• Synonym異様いようNeutralDescribes a look that is strikingly abnormal, as in 「異様な雰囲気」, often with an unsettling feel. 「奇異」 stresses simply being different.
• Synonym不思議ふしぎNeutralSomething you cannot explain or work out; very common in daily use and can carry wonder. 「奇異」 stresses differing from the norm and drawing stares.
• Synonym不可思議ふかしぎWrittenWritten/formal prose; beyond human understanding, with a mystical tinge; also a numeral for 10^64 (or 10^80). 「奇異」 involves no mystery.
• SynonymエキセントリックNeutralLoanword, mostly for people whose character or behavior is eccentric. 「奇異」 can also describe things and phenomena.
• Synonym奇抜きばつNeutralStrikingly original or unconventional, as in 「奇抜なデザイン」; stresses novelty that breaks the mold, for better or worse depending on context.
• SynonymおかしなCasualA pre-noun adjective that only modifies nouns, as in 「おかしな話」; strange or funny, and common in speech.
• Synonym異常いじょうNeutralA departure from the normal state, as in 「異常気象」; often used of figures and conditions. 「奇異」 stresses looking odd.
• Synonym怪奇かいきWrittenGrotesque and bizarre, often with a horror tinge, as in 「怪奇小説」. 「奇異」 carries no sense of horror.
• Synonym変わったかわったCasualPrenominal use meaning unlike the norm, as in 「変わった人」; common in speech and milder than 「奇異」.
• Synonym珍妙ちんみょうWrittenOdd in a comical way; the funniness is the point. 「奇異」 only says unlike the norm, with nothing laughable implied.
• Synonym奇態きたいWrittenWritten/formal prose and rather rare; describes an odd, unusual appearance, close to 「奇異」. In everyday speech 「変わった」 or 「珍しい」 is more natural.
• Synonym奇矯ききょうWrittenWritten/formal prose; used only of people whose speech and behavior are eccentric. 「奇異」 can also describe things and phenomena.
• SynonymけったいCasualKansai dialect for odd or strange; colloquial with a regional flavor. Standard Japanese usually says 「変」.
• Synonym突飛とっぴNeutralUnexpected or outrageous, as in 「突飛な発想」; stresses ideas or behavior that jar. 「奇異」 stresses an odd appearance.
• Synonym怪異かいいWrittenWritten/formal prose; strange phenomena or monsters and ghosts, with a supernatural slant. 「奇異」 just means unusual, with no ghostly color.
• Synonym珍奇ちんきWrittenWritten/formal prose; rare and novel, as in 「珍奇な動物」; stresses being seldom seen. 「奇異」 stresses oddness that makes people wonder.
• Synonym面妖めんようWrittenOld-fashioned word for weird or mysterious, heard mostly in period-drama lines. Modern Japanese prefers 「奇妙」.
• Related怪しいあやしいNeutralSuspicious or unreliable; implies something may be wrong. 「奇異」 only says strange and hints at nothing fishy.
• Related物珍しいものめずらしいNeutralNovel and rare in a way that sparks curiosity, a wish to see it. 「奇異」 carries astonishment, not necessarily interest.
• Related妖しいあやしいNeutralMysterious with a bewitching allure, as in 「妖しい魅力」. 「奇異」 has none of that seductive shade.
• RelatedへんてこCasualColloquial for quirky and odd, with a comic touch. 「奇異」 is more literary and never comic.
• Antonym平凡へいぼんNeutralPlain and unremarkable, with nothing out of the ordinary; the opposite of 「奇異」 in whether something strikes one as unusual.
• Antonym普通ふつうNeutralOrdinary and usual, the most common everyday word; the opposite of 「奇異」 in whether something departs from the norm.

Use 「奇異」 for something unlike the norm that makes people wonder; it leans written/formal, as in 「奇異に感じる」. In everyday speech say 「変」 or 「おかしい」. For the puzzling and inexplicable, 「奇妙」 and 「不思議」 are more common; for the bizarre or suspicious, 「奇怪」; for a strikingly abnormal look, 「異様」. The antonyms are 「普通」 and 「平凡」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 普通ふつうとは違ちがっていて奇妙きみょうなこと。またそのさま。