uncanny

adjective un·can·ny \ ˌən-ˈka-nē \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of uncanny

uncannier; uncanniest

1 a : seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : eerie, mysterious

b : being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers

an uncanny sense of direction

2 chiefly Scotland : severe, punishing

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uncannily

play \ˌən-ˈka-nə-lē\ adverb

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uncanniness

play \ˌən-ˈka-nē-nəs\ noun

See uncanny defined for English-language learners

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Examples of uncanny in a Sentence

I was struck by his uncanny ability to communicate arcane, complex economic policy and by his punk-rock instinct to question the status quo. —Bono, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
To an economist, the 1990s bear an uncanny resemblance to two earlier decades: the 1920s in the United States and the 1980s in Japan. In all three decades, technological change produced extraordinary economic growth, leading to talk of a "new era" and triggering a bull market in stocks that terminated in a market collapse—widely regarded as the bursting of a speculative bubble. —Milton Friedman, Wall Street Journal, 22 Jan. 2002
As he approached quite close to the enclosure he saw an excited group surrounding the two fugitives, who, trembling with fright and exhaustion, were scarce able to recount the uncanny details of their adventure. —Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, 1914
She could not teach herself to think favourably of Pansy, whose absence of initiative, of conversation, of personal claims, seemed to her, in a girl of twenty, unnatural and even uncanny. —Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881
She had an uncanny resemblance to someone I had seen before.
She has an uncanny sense of direction.
an uncanny ability to predict the weather

Recent Examples of uncanny from the Web

After her photo was posted to the journalist’s Instagram account, others noticed her uncanny resemblance to Trump.

— monique judge, The Root, "Donald Trump Has a Doppelgänger: A Spanish Woman Who Farms Potatoes," 8 May 2018
The film also features generous selections from Van Gogh’s famous letters to his brother Theo and reenactments of scenes from Vincent’s life, featuring an actor whose resemblance to the original is uncanny.

— peter keough, BostonGlobe.com, "This week’s nonfiction films take on art, war, forgiveness, and more," 3 May 2018
The similarities to the Eagles’ situation is uncanny.

— marcus hayes, Philly.com, "Just like the Eagles won hurt, the diminished Celtics are trying to beat the Sixers | Marcus Hayes," 2 May 2018
That being said, some of her hunches about his moves around the state are uncanny.

— erin vanderhoof, Vanities, "The Golden State Killer May Be Caught, But Online Detectives Are Still on the Case," 26 Apr. 2018
Plus, the resemblance between Whethan and Ramsey is uncanny...

— billboard staff, Billboard, "Top 5 Dance Highlights at Coachella 2018: ODESZA, Kygo & More," 17 Apr. 2018
Some say that sons are attracted to women that remind them of their mother — and the resemblance between Princess Diana and Kate Middleton is uncanny.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Body Language Experts Analyze Princess Diana and Kate Middleton as Moms," 16 Apr. 2018
Because the resemblance between then mid-20s Witherspoon and current Phillippe is uncanny.

— alex warner, Marie Claire, "It's Official: Ava Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon Are No Longer Twins," 15 Mar. 2018
The observation raged like wildfire on Twitter, with users agreeing the resemblance is uncanny.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "The Internet Thinks EXO Dressed Like Colonel Sanders for the Olympics Closing Ceremony," 26 Feb. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Weird and eerie are synonyms of uncanny, but there are subtle differences in the meanings of the three words. Weird may be used to describe something that is generally strange or out of the ordinary. Eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that some kind of mysterious and malign powers are at work, while uncanny, which debuted in the 18th century, implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness. English also has a word canny, but canny and uncanny should not be interpreted as opposites. Canny, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, means "clever," "shrewd" or "prudent," as in "a canny lawyer" or "a canny investment."

First Known Use of uncanny

1773

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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uncanny Synonyms

Synonyms

magical, miraculous, phenomenal, preternatural, superhuman, supernatural, supernormal, transcendent, transcendental, unearthly;

Near Antonyms

average, commonplace, everyday, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday;

expected, familiar, predictable;

common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted;

baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, shocking;

aberrant, atypical, fantastic (also fantastical), flaky, freak, freakish, idiosyncratic, marvelous (or marvellous), prodigious, rare, singular, uncommon, unique, unnatural, unusual;

Synonym Discussion of uncanny

weird, eerie, uncanny mean mysteriously strange or fantastic. weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress queerness or oddness.