UNUSUAL1 not what usually happens2 unusually good or impressive3 so unusual that nothing like it has ever happened before4 when someone's behaviour is unusualRELATED WORDSoppositeNORMAL/ORDINARYCOMMONsee alsoRARE/RARELYUSUALLYSTRANGEDIFFERENT1 not what usually happens 不是平常发生的unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒəl/ [adjective] We had snow in April, which is very unusual. 我们这里4月份下了雪，这很罕见。 She had an unusual last name - Peachtree or Plumtree or something like that. 她的姓不常见——是Peachtree还是Plumtree之类的。 I first met Maria in unusual circumstances -- we were both stuck in a Brazilian airport. 我初次见到玛丽亚是在一个非常情况—我们都被困在巴西的一个机场里。it is unusual to do something It is unusual to find lakes of this size in Britain. 在英国能找到这样大小的湖真是很难得。it is unusual for somebody to do something We were beginning to worry. It was unusual for David to be so late. 我们开始担心起来，戴维一般是不会这么晚的。unusually [adverb] The house was unusually quiet. 这房子静得出奇。 Unusually for a city hotel, it is set in a lush tropical garden. 这是一家非同一般的城市酒店，建在一个郁郁葱葱的热带花园里。extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːʳdənəriǁ-dn-eri, ˌekstrəˈɔːr-/ [adjective]something that isextraordinary is very unusual because it would normally be very unlikely to happen or exist 奇特的，离奇的，异乎寻常的 The man's story was so extraordinary that I didn't know whether to believe him or not. 那男人讲的故事太离奇了，我不知道该不该相信他。 He said it was an extraordinary decision and would send many industries spinning into recession. 他说这个决定很不寻常，会令许多工业迅速衰退。an extraordinary thing to do/say/happen She left her husband, and in 1912 that was an extraordinary thing to do. 她离开了丈夫，在1912年，那可是件不同寻常的事。quite/most extraordinaryBritishvery extraordinary 【英】非常离奇的 The whole incident had been quite extraordinary. 整件事都非常不可思议。extraordinarily [adverb] The level of the sea rose till it was extraordinarily high. 海平面上升到了不寻常的高度。exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/ [adjective]anexceptional situation is very unusual and happens very rarely 异常的，罕见的 A few of the top executives are women, but this is still exceptional. 最高层的管理人员中有几位是女性，但这仍很罕见。in exceptional circumstances/cases Exit visas are only given in exceptional circumstances. 只有在很特殊的情况下才发放出境签证。exceptionally [adverb] This has been an exceptionally busy week. 这星期特别忙。uncommon/not common /ʌnˈkɒmənǁ-ˈkɑː-, nɒt ˈkɒmənǁˈkɑː-/ [adjective]something that isuncommon ornot common is unusual because it does not happen very often 罕见的，不平常的 The disease mostly affects older people, and is not common among people under 50. 这种疾病大多侵袭上年纪的人，50岁以下患者不常见。it is uncommon/not common (for somebody) to do something It is uncommon for small babies to sleep more than four hours without waking. 小宝宝连睡四小时以上而不醒并不寻常。you don't usually/often /juː ˌdəʊnt ˈjuːʒuəli, ˈɒfənǁ-ˈɔːf-/spokensayyou don't usually see, find, hear etc something when it is very unusual to see it, find it etc 【口】不常〔见到、找到、听到某物〕 You don't usually see rabbits of this size. 这么大的兔子不常见。 You don't often get people ringing up in the middle of the night to say they've found a body in the bath. 深更半夜有人打电话来说浴室里发现尸体，这种事情是不大碰得到的。out of the ordinary /ˌaʊt əv ði ˈɔːʳdənriǁ-dn-eri/ [adjective phrase]unusual and surprising or special 不寻常的，特殊的 Something out of the ordinary happened to us that night. 那天晚上我们遇到了不寻常的事。 The goalkeeper did not have to do anything out of the ordinary to keep his side in the game. 比赛中，那位守门员用不着花太大的力气来防守。special /ˈspeʃəl/ [adjective usually before noun]aspecial occasion, situation, method etc is one that is different from what normally happens, and usually better 特别的，特殊的，不一般的 There were special security arrangements for the President's visit. 为总统到访采取了特别的保安措施。 The prince said he didn't want any special treatment in his new school. 王子称他在新学校里不需要特别待遇。special event/occasion I would only buy expensive shoes for a special event such as a wedding. 只有婚礼之类的特殊场合，我才会买贵的鞋子穿。 a book of recipes for every day and special occasions too 日常及特殊场合均可使用的一本菜谱in special circumstances Prisoners are only allowed to visit their families in special circumstances. 犯人只有在特殊情况下才可探视家人。freak /friːk/ [adjective only before noun]freak accident/storm/conditions etcan accident, storm etc that is very unusual and unexpected 反常的事故/暴风雨/状况等 He broke his leg in a freak training accident. 他在一次异常的训练事故中摔断了腿。 A freak wave wrecked most of the seafront. 反常的海浪把大部分滨海区都毁了。 Two planes were lifted up and thrown across the tarmac by a freak gust of wind. 一阵怪风把两架飞机卷起，抛到跑道的另一头。offbeat/off-beat /ˌɒfˈbiːt◂ǁˌɔːf-/ [adjective usually before noun]off-beat films, designs, ideas etc are unusual and often seem interesting or humorous because they are so different from the usual ones 〔电影、设计、概念等〕异常的，别具一格的〔通常显得有趣或幽默〕 We had some really offbeat ideas for T-shirt designs. 我们有一些别具一格的T恤衫设计方案。 Movies featuring original or offbeat material are rarely big box-office successes. 题材新颖或不同寻常的电影很少能取得大的票房成就。2 unusually good or impressive 特别好的或令人难忘的unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒuəl, -ʒəl/ [adjective usually before noun]unusual beauty, talent etc is much better or more impressive than usual 〔美貌、才华等〕非凡的 Alan's work shows unusual talent and originality. 艾伦的作品表现出非凡的天才和独创性。 He had an unusual ability to rise above the prejudices of his generation. 他有摆脱同代人的偏见的非凡能力。unusually [adverb] Mr Elstone is an unusually gifted teacher. 埃尔斯顿先生是一位才华横溢的教师。special /ˈspeʃəl/ [adjective]unusually good, impressive, or important 特别好〔瞩目、重要〕的 Joe has a special gift for mathematics. 乔在数学方面有特殊的天才。 The bond between Sonya and her mother was very special. 索妮娅和她母亲之间的关系特别亲密。extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːʳdənəriǁ-dn-eri, ˌekstrəˈɔːr-/ [adjective]very much better, more beautiful, or more impressive than what is usual 卓越的，非凡的 He really was a most extraordinary man. 他真是一个非常杰出的人。 The view from up here is extraordinary. 从这里眺望，风景非常迷人。 Everything about the woman -- her hair, eyes, and jewellery -- gleamed with extraordinary brilliance. 那位女子身上的一切——她的头发、眼睛以及珠宝—都闪耀着无与伦比的光辉。extraordinarily [adverb] Victoria is an extraordinarily attractive girl. 维多利亚是个极漂亮的女孩。exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/ [adjective]anexceptional person or thing is so good that they are unusual compared to most other things or people of a similar type 〔跟相似的人或物比较〕不凡的，特别优秀的 When it comes to natural footballing ability, Gascoigne is exceptional. 说到踢足球的天赋，加斯科因出类拔萃。 Graham Greene had exceptional talents as a story-teller. 格雷厄姆·格林有非凡的讲故事才能。 It's one of the best examples of old English furniture I've seen -- it truly is exceptional. 这是我见过的最好的英式旧家具之一——真的不同凡响。remarkable /rɪˈmɑːʳkəbəl/ [adjective]someone or something that isremarkable is unusually good or skilled, so that you notice them and admire them 〔人或物〕出众的，杰出的 The record features some remarkable guitar and piano solos. 这张唱片以一些出色的吉他独奏曲和钢琴独奏曲为主要内容。 Henry Tippett showed remarkable flair as a hotelier. 亨利·蒂皮特表现出了旅店经营者的卓越才能。 a remarkable statesman and diplomat 一位卓越的政治家和外交家remarkably [adverb] The service in the restaurant is remarkably quick and efficient. 这家餐厅的服务特别快、特别有效率。rare /reəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]very special and unusual 稀有的，罕见的 He had that rare gift of being able to impart enthusiasm to others. 他有那种难得的本领，能将热情传给别人。 She bore her illness with rare courage. 她以非凡的勇气忍受着病痛。 Huston is a film-maker who has achieved a rare kind of beauty in his work. 休斯顿作为一名电影制作人，他在作品中创造了一种罕见的美。quite a/some /ˈkwaɪt ə, sʌm/ [determiner]informaluse this to describe someone or something that is unusually good, impressive, or enjoyable 【非正式】〔人或物〕相当不错的，出众的 This is quite a house. 这房子相当不错。 Jane told me I was almost intelligent, which from her is quite a compliment. 简说我算得上聪明，在她这是很大的表扬了。 That was some party last night! 昨晚的聚会好极了！ ‘She's some lady,’ he said, with admiration. “她是位了不起的女士。”他钦佩地说。unique /juːˈniːk/ [adjective]happening or existing extremely rarely - use this especially about the qualities someone or something has or about a chance to do something 独特的；难得的〔尤指素质、质量或机会〕 She has a unique ability to communicate with animals of all kinds. 她有独特的能力，可与各种动物沟通。 This vacation offers a unique opportunity to visit some of the most remote mountain areas of the region. 这次度假提供了难得的机会，可以看看该地区最偏远的山区。3 so unusual that nothing like it has ever happened before 不同寻常得前所未有unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentəd, ʌnˈpresədentəd/ [adjective]anunprecedented event or situation, especially a good one, has never happened before 〔尤指好的事件或情况〕前所未有的，空前的 There has been an unprecedented demand for tickets. 对门票的需求是空前的。 An unprecedented boom in tourism brought prosperity to the town. 旅游业前所未有的景气给小镇带来了繁荣。 In the 1920's the number of Scots who made the journey across the Atlantic to the United States was unprecedented. 20世纪20年代，横渡大西洋的苏格兰人数量之多是前所未有的。unheard of /ʌnˈhɜːʳd ɒv/ [adjective]informala situation or event that isunheard of is surprising or shocking because it has never happened before and is difficult to imagine 【非正式】前所未闻的，空前的 Travel for pleasure was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century. 在19世纪，几乎没有听说过旅游玩乐这回事。an unheard-of luxury/achievement/outburst etc When my father was a child, a television was an unheard-of luxury. 在我父亲小时候，电视机是一种前所未闻的奢侈品。 The band had received six Grammy Awards -- an unheard-of achievement in such a short time. 该乐队已获得六个格莱美奖一在如此短时间内获此殊荣是前所未闻的。4 when someone's behaviour is unusual 某人的行为是异常的unconventional /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənəl◂/ [adjective]someone who isunconventional lives, behaves, or does things in ways that are very different from the way that most ordinary people live or behave 非常规的，不依惯例的 She comes from an unconventional family. 她来自一个并不传统的家庭。 They were both unconventional to the point of eccentricity. 他们俩都标新立异，到了古怪的地步。 unconventional political views 新奇的政治观点it's not like somebody /ɪts nɒt ˈlaɪk somebody/spokensay this when you mean that someone is behaving in a way that they do not usually behave, so you think they may be ill or have some kind of problem 【口】这可不像某人 Don't you want any more to eat? That's not like you. 你不再吃一点吗？那可不像你呀。it's not like somebody to do something It's not like Sally to get so upset - I think she's been working too hard. 那么沮丧可不像萨莉—我想她是工作太辛苦了。