as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
some studies show that many violent criminals begin exhibiting deviant behavior in early childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
branded as social deviants by a society that did not value self-expression
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deviant
Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Like its deviant neighbor to the south, Goose Island, Lincoln Yards is full of confusing little streets that don’t line up with the Chicago grid and bear names not found in any other neighborhood.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Perhaps 20 hostages remain alive, having spent two years in underground conditions that would rival the most deviant imagination.
—Tom Rogan, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviant
Adjective
From Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein's macabre legacy gave birth to fictional monsters born in his image and ignited a cultural obsession with the criminally deviant.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Like its deviant neighbor to the south, Goose Island, Lincoln Yards is full of confusing little streets that don’t line up with the Chicago grid and bear names not found in any other neighborhood.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
Does this language assume that a particular body is normal, deviant, or in need of correction?
How are treatments framed?
—JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Perhaps 20 hostages remain alive, having spent two years in underground conditions that would rival the most deviant imagination.
—Tom Rogan, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviant
Adjective
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Or hold a burning incense stick around the windows and doors, and watch for any abnormal smoke movement.—
Michelle Ullman,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
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The training also makes clear that the definition of ectopic pregnancies — which are always life-threatening — includes any that implant in an abnormal location outside of the uterine cavity.—
Cassandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An exhibition in Beijing delving into anonymity, a key code of the house stemming back to the founder Martin Margiela’s Greta Garbo-like ways — and the face-obscuring masks that have been a feature of the brand since the Belgian maverick arrived on the international fashion scene.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Miss Piggy the diva, Kermit the moral compass, Gonzo the maverick, etc.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Others forced users to pause for several seconds between words, which made the conversation feel unnatural.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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If anything, Amorim proved too defiantly wedded to his own ‘way’, a 3-4-2-1 system which had to force-fit players into unnatural roles.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
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Greg Brown, the original guitarist and co-founding member of ’90s alt-rock eccentrics Cake, has died.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deviant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviant. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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