merkwürdig

Merkwürdig is a German adjective meaning noteworthy, remarkable, or strange. It describes something that stands out and is worth noticing, and its nuance can carry a neutral, evaluative, or slightly surprised tone depending on context. In everyday language it can apply to events, statements, people, or objects: eine merkwürdige Begegnung, eine merkwürdige Behauptung, eine merkwürdige Erscheinung.

Etymology and nuance: merkwürdig combines merken (to notice) and würdig (worthy). Historically it conveyed that something was worthy of being noticed; in modern usage the sense is close to “noteworthy” or “remarkable,” while also allowing a sense of strangeness or oddity in some contexts.

Usage and forms: The word is common in written and spoken German, especially in more formal or literary styles. The adverbial form merkwürdig(er)weise means “curiously” or “remarkably,” as in Merkwürdigerweise blieb das Phänomen unerklärt. The noun form Merkwürdigkeit refers to the quality of being noteworthy or an oddity: Die Merkwürdigkeit des Fundes überrascht die Wissenschaftler.

Synonyms and distinctions: Related terms include seltsam (strange), eigenartig (peculiar), auffällig (conspicuous). Merkwürdig emphasizes that something deserves attention, rather than merely being unconventional; seltsam leans more toward oddness, while auffällig stresses visibility.

See also: Merkwürdigkeit (noun), merkwürdigerweise (adverb). English equivalents include “remarkable,” “noteworthy,” “peculiar,” or “strange,” depending on context.