Reading Theme:
Stranger: Meaning, Examples, and Common Usage (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：unknown person (stranger)
stranger
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
n.
a person you have never met or do not know at all.
unknown person
➕
/ʌnˈnoʊn ˈpɜːrsən/
n.
A person whom you have never met and therefore do not know or recognize.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Strange + -er. From Latin 'extraneus' (foreign).
💡 Mnemonic
Imagine a 'strange' person you don't know — that's a stranger.
📖 Example
When I moved to the new city, everyone I passed on the street was a stranger to me.
When I relocated to a unfamiliar city, every person I encountered on the street was a stranger to me.
🔗 Collocations
complete stranger – a person you have never met before at all
perfect stranger – someone totally unknown
stranger in the street – an unknown person encountered in public
🔄 Synonyms
unknown person (n.) – a person whose identity is not known
unfamiliar person (n.) – a person you are not acquainted with
outsider (n.) – a person not belonging to a particular group or place
🚫 Antonyms
acquaintance (n.) – a person one knows slightly
friend (n.) – a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
relative (n.) – a person connected by blood or marriage
🌱 Derivatives
strangely (adv.) – in an unusual or surprising way
strangeness (n.) – the quality of being unusual or unfamiliar
estranged (adj.) – having lost the affection or trust of someone
📖 Cultural Story
Derived from Latin 'extraneus' via Old French. In modern culture, 'stranger' appears in 'stranger danger' and classic novels like Camus' 'The Stranger'.
Meaning 2：newcomer unfamiliar (stranger)
stranger
/ˈstreɪndʒər/
n.
a person who is in a place or situation that they are not familiar with.
newcomer unfamiliar
➕
/ˈnjuːˌkʌmər ˌʌnfəˈmɪliər/
n.
A person who is in a place or situation that is new to them and with which they are not acquainted.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Even though I've lived here for a month, I still feel like a stranger because I don't know my way around.
Despite residing here for one month, I continue to feel like a stranger as I am unfamiliar with the area.
🔗 Collocations
feel like a stranger – to have the sensation of not belonging or being unfamiliar
be a stranger to – to have no experience or knowledge of something
stranger in a strange land – a person who is in an unfamiliar and alien environment
🔄 Synonyms
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