変人(へんじん)

へんじん
noun
eccentric, weirdo, oddball
informalperson
1. eccentric, weirdo, oddball, strange person
A person whose behavior, thinking, or interests are noticeably unusual or unconventional. Can be used critically or affectionately depending on context.
あの人(ひと)はちょっと変人(へんじん)だ。
That person is a bit of an eccentric.
周(まわ)りからは変人(へんじん)扱(あつか)いされているが、本人(ほんにん)は気(き)にしていない。
He's treated as an oddball by those around him, but he doesn't care.
天才(てんさい)と変人(へんじん)は紙一重(かみひとえ)だとよく言(い)われる。
It's often said that there's a fine line between genius and eccentricity.

Usage

The tone depends on context. Among friends, calling someone a 変人(へんじん) can be affectionate, acknowledging their unique personality. In other contexts, it may be dismissive or insulting. The phrase 天才(てんさい)と変人(へんじん)は紙一重(かみひとえ) (genius and eccentricity are paper-thin apart) is a well-known saying.

Common collocations

  • 変人(へんじん)扱(あつか)い: being treated as an oddball
  • 変人(へんじん)呼(よ)ばわり: being called an oddball
  • かなりの変人(へんじん): quite an eccentric

Similar words

変人(へんじん) is relatively neutral compared to alternatives. 変(へん)な人(ひと) (strange person) is more casual. 奇人(きじん) (eccentric) is more literary and may carry a sense of admiration. 変態(へんたい) has a much stronger negative meaning and should not be confused with 変人(へんじん).

Related Words

Synonym: 奇人(きじん) (eccentric (literary))
general
Added 2026.2.20 14:28 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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