seltsamer

Seltsamer is the comparative form of the German adjective seltsam, meaning strange, odd or unusual. It is used to compare the degree of strangeness between two things or events, for example: Der Vorfall war seltsamer als erwartet.

Grammatically, seltsamer behaves like other adjectives in German. With an indefinite article you say, for example, ein seltsamer Mann; with a definite article der seltsame Mann; in predicative use it can appear after forms of sein, e.g., Das ist seltsamer als gedacht. In the common attributive position before a noun, it follows the standard inflection pattern: ein seltsamer, ein seltsames, eine seltsame, der seltsame etc.

Usage and nuance: seltsamer conveys a sense of oddity or peculiarity, ranging from mild to pronounced. It is often neutral, but can carry a subtle judgment about normal expectations being breached. Synonyms include merkwürdig, eigenartig, sonderbar; each carries its own shade of meaning. In contrast, unheimlich emphasizes eeriness, while komisch may imply humor or oddity.

Adverbial form: seltsamerweise means “strangely enough” and is used to remark on an unexpected or surprising situation, for example, Seltsamerweise kam er pünktlich.

See also: seltsam (base form), merkwürdig, eigenartig, sonderbar. In literary and journalistic German, seltsamer is a common descriptive device to convey gradations of oddity without strong emotional charge.