eerie

ee·rie | \ ˈir-ē

How to pronounce eerie (audio)

\

variants: or less commonly eery

eerier; eeriest

Definition of eerie

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

Other Words from eerie Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about eerie

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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 There was almost an eerie feeling with a few thousand people gathered indoors in a sports arena for the first time since March. — Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, "The surreal scene inside Alabama’s muted graduation ceremony," 31 July 2020 His admonition, however, bore an eerie resemblance to a warning issued in an obscure 1982 Brown administration report. — Mark Brilliant, Washington Post, "The prescient politics and policies of Jerry Brown," 10 July 2020 Ditto for some of the lighting, which, as captured, occasionally casts an eerie blue glow onto the performers. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Hamilton' at home: Disney+ gives fans a front-row seat worth waiting for," 30 June 2020 Riding Space Mountain and not hearing a single scream of delight was an eerie experience. — Julie Tremaine, Travel + Leisure, "I Went to Disney’s Magic Kingdom on Opening Day — Here’s What It Was Really Like," 13 July 2020 The home, located somewhere indeterminately woodsy and rural, shows no signs of struggle, only a muffled, eerie air of neglect. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, "Emily Mortimer house horror Relic brings extra psychological layers: Review," 10 July 2020 Or are those eerie layers a manifestation of Edna’s dementia, which causes the mind to retreat and reform in increasingly disorienting ways? — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "The Ending Of Relic Reveals A Monster We’d Rather Not Think About," 10 July 2020 The Economist correspondent in the French Riviera (tough job!) is on the spot to report on an eerie scene from La Ciotat, perhaps the world capital of super yachts. — Bernhard Warner, Fortune, "Global markets surge ahead of today’s big jobs report," 2 July 2020 The eerie sound, sort of a mix between a hum, a whistle and a screech, emerges when strong northwesterly winds across the bridge blow through slender new handrails that were installed on the west side of the span. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Golden Gate Bridge’s new hum louder than expected, officials explore options to fix handrails," 1 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eerie.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eerie. Accessed 14 Aug. 2020.

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