idiosyncrasy

Word family

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkrəsi/ noun (plural idiosyncrasies) [countableC]

1 HABITan unusual habit or way of behaving that someone has 〔个人特有的〕习性，癖好

my uncle’s idiosyncrasies

我叔叔的癖好

2 CHARACTER OF somethingan unusual or unexpected feature that something has 〔某物的〕异质，特点

one of the many idiosyncrasies of English spelling

英语拼写的众多特点之一

—idiosyncratic /ˌɪdiəsɪnˈkrætɪk◂/ adjectiveadj

Examples from the Corpus

idiosyncrasy• There were others who remarked that even saints should be permitted an idiosyncrasy or two!• Like they could not wait to abolish her conveniences and idiosyncrasies.• As Lyman and Scott explain: Free territory is carved out of space and affords the opportunities for idiosyncrasy and identity.• She's easy to work for, and her employees don't mind her idiosyncrasies.• When not trying to match his 15-hour days, they regale each other with endless stories about his idiosyncrasies and absent-mindedness.• His judgments were also swayed by preconceptions based on past experiences or even personal idiosyncrasies.• Flight crews must become familiar with each airplane's idiosyncrasies.• Normally, harsh discipline was personalized as the idiosyncrasies of those superiors.• The idiosyncrasies of its founding Communist fathers played a role in this key difference.• Nor does it provide a rationale for people with questionable motives to vent their hostilities or express their idiosyncrasies.

Origin idiosyncrasy

(1600-1700) Greek idiosynkrasia, from idio- ( → IDIOLECT) + synkerannynai “to mix together”

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus