Märkvärdig

Märkvärdig is a Swedish adjective meaning remarkable or noteworthy, and can also convey a sense of peculiarity or strangeness depending on context. Historically, the term denotes something worthy of notice, from the root märka (to notice) combined with värdig (worthy).

In contemporary use, märkvärdig is generally more formal or literary than everyday, and is often found in written prose, journalism, or rhetorical speech. It can describe events, statements, or objects that stand out because they are unusual, impressive, or surprising. The nuance is typically neutral to slightly positive, though it can carry a touch of irony when paired with a mundane subject in a surprising way. A common synonym in less formal language is märklig, which more directly signals oddness or peculiarity.

Märkvärdighet is the related noun meaning the quality of being remarkable or noteworthy. The adverbial form is märkvärdigt, with the phrase märkvärdigt nog meaning “remarkably enough” or “strangely enough,” used to introduce an unexpected twist or contrast.

Typical usage examples include describing a person’s achievement as märkvärdig, a historical event as märkvärdig, or noting a detail as märkvärdigt nog surprising in hindsight. While easy to understand, märkvärdig tends to appear more in formal, reflective, or literary contexts rather than casual conversation.

See also: märklig, anmärkningsvärd, märkvärdighet.