eerie

adjective

ee·​rie ˈir-ē 

variants or less commonly eery

eerier; eeriest

1

: so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine

a coyote's eerie howl

the similarities were eerie

also : seemingly not of earthly origin

the flames cast an eerie glow

2

chiefly Scotland : affected with fright : scared

eeriness

ˈir-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• creepy
• weird
• haunting

Choose the Right Synonym for eerie

weird, eerie, uncanny mean mysteriously strange or fantastic.

weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

Examples of eerie in a Sentence

The flames cast an eerie glow.

a land of eerie beauty

Recent Examples on the Web

Eisenberg completed an eerie song praising West Elm as an oracular realm, then asked Scardino to write a short monologue to set it up. —Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. CNN — Some of the most intriguing science fiction springs from eerie, real-life phenomena. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 June 2025

Experiences will include eerie eateries and bone-chilling bar areas. —Tom Tapp, Deadline, 26 June 2025

The group asked the city for permission several times and was initially rejected, but eventually the government relented, allowing Queens of the Stone Age to become the first musical act to perform live – legally, that is – within the eerie setting. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (northern dialect) eri

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for eerie

• beery
• bleary
• cheery
• cirri
• dearie
• deary
• dreary
• kiri
• leary
• leery
• peery
• query

Kids Definition

eerie

adjective

ee·​rie

variants also eery

ˈi(ə)r-ē 

eerier; eeriest

: causing fear or uneasiness because of strangeness or gloominess

an eerie shadow

eerily

ˈir-ə-lē 

adverb

eeriness

ˈir-ē-nəs 

noun