If you talk about the idiosyncrasies of someone or something, you are referring to their rather unusual habits or characteristics.
Everyone has a few little idiosyncrasies.
The bike has style, it has looks, it has its little idiosyncrasies.
The book is a gem of Victorian idiosyncrasy.
Synonyms: peculiarity, habit, characteristic, foible More Synonyms of idiosyncrasy
idiosyncrasy in British English
(ˌɪdɪəʊˈsɪŋkrəsɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-sies
1.
a tendency, type of behaviour, mannerism, etc, of a specific person; quirk
2.
the composite physical or psychological make-up of a specific person
3.
an abnormal reaction of an individual to specific foods, drugs, or other agents
Word origin
C17: from Greek idiosunkrasia, from idio- + sunkrasis mixture, temperament, from sun-syn- + kerannunai to mingle
idiosyncrasy in American English
(ˌɪdioʊˈsɪŋkrəsi; ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsi)
nounWord forms: pluralˌidioˈsyncrasies
1.
the temperament or mental constitution peculiar to a person or group
2.
any personal peculiarity, mannerism, etc.
3.
an individual reaction to a drug, food, etc. that is different from the reactionof most people
SYNONYMY NOTE: idiosyncrasy refers to any personal mannerism or peculiarity and connotes strong individuality[the idiosyncrasies of a writer's style]; eccentricity implies considerable deviation from what is normal or customary and connotes whimsicalityor even mental aberration [his eccentricity of wearing overshoes in the summer]
Gr idiosynkrasia < idio-, one's own, peculiar (see idio-) + synkrasis, a mixing together, tempering < synkerannynai, to mix together < syn-, together + kerannynai, to mix < IE *ere-, to mix > rare3, Ger rühren, to stir
Examples of 'idiosyncrasy' in a sentence
idiosyncrasy
Why does it cut a swath through our anthropological differences and cultural idiosyncrasies?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
She excels at delivering the idiosyncrasies of real life.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The prize of their own dream home shines through despite the frustrations and individual idiosyncrasies.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They are aware of their character traits, their personal idiosyncrasies and their strengths and weaknesses.
Aiken, Nick Working with Teenagers (1994)
While his idiosyncrasies of style are routinely toned down, certain features of Spanish are insufficiently reworked.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Catch the return of the maverick Croatian pianist whose personal and musical idiosyncrasies caused such a flutter in the 1980s.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
(noun)
Definition
a personal peculiarity of mind, habit, or behaviour
One of his idiosyncrasies was to wear orange gloves.
Synonyms
peculiarity
He had many little peculiarities.
habit
He has an endearing habit of licking his lips.
characteristic
Genes determine the characteristics of every living thing.
foible
human foibles and weaknesses
quirk
the quirks and foibles of people in everyday situations
eccentricity
We all have our little eccentricities.
oddity
the oddities of the Welsh legal system
mannerism
Her mannerisms are those of a preoccupied academic.
affectation
trick
all her little tricks and funny voices
singularity
his abrupt, turbulent style and the singularity of his appearance
personal trait
Additional synonyms
in the sense of characteristic
Definition
a distinguishing feature or quality
Genes determine the characteristics of every living thing.