queer

\ ˈkwir

queerer; queerest

Definition of queer

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : differing in some way from what is usual or normal : odd, strange, weird "How queer it seems," Alice said to herself, "to be going messages for a rabbit!"— Lewis Carroll The endless and numberless avenues of bewildering pine woods gave him a queer feeling that he was driving through the countless corridors of a dream.— G. K. Chesterton

b : eccentric, unconventional Dwelling apart in the depths of the woods are the various kinds of mountaineers, —hunters, prospectors, and the like, —rare men, "queer characters," and well worth knowing.— John Muir

2 sometimes disparaging + offensive, see usage paragraph below

a : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to members of one's own sex : homosexual, gay Then I told them my story of being a Southern gay Christian alcoholic, or as a friend puts it, a queer, Bible-banging redneck drunk.— Jonathan Odell … the legendary Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, founded by lesbians in 1976 and still predominantly queer to this day. — The Out Traveler

b : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation Queer people who are attracted to multiple genders often face erasure of their sexuality when they begin a monogamous relationship or a marriage. But your sexuality is about your identity—not your partner's gender.— Erika W. Smith As a great deal of queer history has by now demonstrated, the strictly defined categories of "homosexual" and "heterosexual" are relatively new: bright lines drawn across the late-20th-century sexual landscape that made "coming out" a dichotomous choice.— Deborah Cohen

c : of, relating to, or being a person whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual and/or whose gender identity is not cisgender queer spaces the queer movement For many queer folks, the clothing we wear can be a vital part of our identity expression. And thankfully, there are tons of businesses popping up, many of them internet-based, that offer queer folks clothes made by us, for us, whether that's lingerie fitted for transgender bodies or clothes cut to fit butch cisgender women.— James Loke Hale

d : of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female : genderqueer, non-binary For Watson, playing Susie was always about representing an honest queer experience that could help others better understand what it's like to be gender non-binary, whether they're queer or not.— Shannon Carlin

e : of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth : transgender high-heeled shoes in sizes large enough to meet queer fashion demands — see also queer studies, queer theory

3 chiefly British, old-fashioned

a : questionable, suspicious He will be working to spread quack medicines, queer investments …— G. K. Chesterton

b : sick, unwell I did get a job once, but I was off for a week because I was queer …— Somerset Maugham

queer

noun

plural queers

Definition of queer (Entry 2 of 3)

sometimes disparaging + offensive : a queer person: such as

a : a person who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or otherwise not heterosexual … he fixed her hair and he did her makeup and showed her how to dress, and when he was done she was so beautiful that he fell in love with her even though he was a queer.— P. J. O'Rourke

b : a person whose gender identity is nonbinary or differs from the sex they had or were identified as having at birth : a genderqueer or transgender person : a person who is not cisgender

queer

verb

queered; queering; queers

Definition of queer (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to consider or interpret (something) from a perspective that rejects traditional categories of gender and sexuality : to apply ideas from queer theory to (something) And knowledge of [his identity as a gay man] opens a path to consider how and to what degree his art queered—to use a term from academic theory—received versions of American culture: questioned their validity, revealed their contradictions, turned them inside out.— Holland Cotter The term genderqueer was originally coined in the 1990s to describe those who "queered" gender by defying oppressive gender norms in the course of their binary-defying activism.— Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart What struck me about this book when I read it nearly two decades ago was how she queered the lives of black women who depend on one another to survive, who love each other intimately, and who exist at the intersections of race, gender, class and sexuality. It is a raw and complex narrative about coming into one's self, becoming more familiar and at ease with all of the parts of one's self, and it is a powerful accounting of a black lesbian facing head-on her own adversities.— Alicia Garza

b : to make or modify (something) in a way that reflects one's rejection of gender and sexuality norms As for the actual tea, [professor E. Patrick] Johnson notes, black gay men riff on family recipes, often making them boozy, queering the more sober versions from their youths.— Kyle Fitzpatrick

2 old-fashioned

a : to spoil the effect or success of (something) Nothing queers an investigation like moving too rapidly.— Tom Clancy

b : to put or get (someone or something) into an embarrassing or disadvantageous situation Do you think she'll believe you after that? … You can't queer me with her.— P. G. Wodehouse

Other Words from queer Synonyms Usage of Queer More Example Sentences Learn More about queer

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Usage of Queer

Adjective

Use of the word queer as referring and relating to sexual orientation, and, more recently, to gender identity, has changed dramatically since the 1980s. Formerly used only as a strongly pejorative term, queer is now commonly used by some as a positive self-descriptor. The word is also prominent as a neutral term in academic contexts that deal with gender and sexuality. The rainbow colors of the flags that wave at Pride parades are meant to celebrate the diversity of a community that includes people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and—all the rest. — Sean Thomas-Breitfield Through interviews, mapping, and an examination of local history and present developments, this paper concludes that gays, lesbians and other members of the queer community often create the liberating social spaces that attract further settlement by "non-conformists." — Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting The pejorative uses of queer, however, have certainly not vanished. Both the adjective and noun continue to be highly offensive when used disparagingly.

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Dictionary Entries near queer

queer (someone's) pitch

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Cite this Entry

“Queer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/queer. Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

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More Definitions for queer

queer

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of queer

(Entry 1 of 3)

old-fashioned : odd or unusual

queer

noun

English Language Learners Definition of queer (Entry 2 of 3)

informal + usually offensive : a homosexual person

queer

verb

English Language Learners Definition of queer (Entry 3 of 3)

informal : to spoil or ruin (something)

See the full definition for queer in the English Language Learners Dictionary

queer

adjective

\ ˈkwir

queerer; queerest

Kids Definition of queer

: oddly unlike the usual or normal Watching them, Charlie experienced a queer sense of danger.— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a queer smell