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
• haunting
• spookish
• spooky
• uncanny
• unearthly
• weird

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

Speaking of eerie dramas, Nicole Kidman is reprising her role for Season 2 of Hulu’s thriller, Nine Perfect Strangers, arriving on May 22. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Some jumped out of street corners to greet you with a quest and an eerie smile. —Jamal Michel, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Last week, an anonymous member of the group made an eerie confession that prompted the Narragansett police to investigate. —Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025

And while the eerie nostalgia hit is set to return for its fifth and final season this year, there are at least some options to help fans grapple with the last stretch of waiting. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 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