DEVIANT Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

deviant 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdē-vē-ənt

Definition of deviant

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deviant

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deviant

Adjective

How often the crimes of a deviant cast shadows on others for years to come. — Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026 Most of all, the repercussions are felt by students, who receive a very clear message about which stories their community considers dirty or deviant. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026

Noun

White segregationists and liberals have outed Black people as deviant to maintain their claims to normalcy and socioeconomic dominance. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 Among them is a singer (Kiernan Shipka) making a living as an exotic dancer, who, after becoming Sheridan’s victim, joins them in their battle to rein in the young deviant. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 25 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deviant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviant

Adjective

Storm surges -- abnormal rise in sea level caused by storms -- could reach 7 feet in parts of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, and up to 5 feet on the western Florida panhandle.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
While one form, or isomer, of thalidomide has a sedative effect, the other is thought to cause abnormal physiological development.

— Sajish Mathew, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of abnormal

Noun

The two were photographed together backstage at Nelson’s Fourth of July concert this year, and the country maverick features in a new Talarico online campaign video.

— Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Naomi, a maverick environmental lawyer; her husband, banker Amaré; and their longtime friend Raheem, who works as an auto mechanic.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of maverick

Adjective

That amounts to unchecked growth resulting in relatively dense stands, which are unnatural for this part of the country — despite becoming a familiar sight to Coloradans over the last few decades.

— John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026
The California Department of Public Health said animals with rabies will often have strange or unnatural behavior.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of unnatural

Noun

The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.

— Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of eccentric

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deviances

deviant

deviants

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“Deviant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviant. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deviant

adjective

noun

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