uncanny

adjective un·can·ny \ ˌən-ˈka-nē \

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

—

uncanniness

play \ˌən-ˈka-nē-nəs\ noun

See uncanny defined for English-language learners

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uncanny was our Word of the Day on 10/20/2012. Hear the podcast!

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

Trump has an uncanny ability to undermine the Republican Party's message at the least-convenient moment.

— amber phillips, Washington Post, "10 things Mitch McConnell probably hates about Trump," 23 Aug. 2017
His teammates appreciate his uncanny ability to imitate coach Jason Garrett.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Cooper Rush impresses on down night for Cowboys QBs," 13 Aug. 2017
Donald Trump seems to have an uncanny knack for prompting overreach by his opponents and critics.

— michael barone, National Review, "Anti-Trump Overreach Could Backfire," 14 July 2017
Kelly's uncanny ability to pair poetic lyrics with haunting melodies makes him a diamond in the rough and worth a listen.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Everything you need to know about Sloss Fest," 6 July 2017
There's something else, too, well known to hunters: an uncanny ability to vanish, or to hide in plain sight like a stealth bomber.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Despite growing worries about the herd's health, the annual fall deer hunt continues as a family tradition," 6 July 2017
Stevie Ryan, an actress, mental health advocate, and comedian who came into prominence with her uncanny imitations of celebrities on YouTube, has died.

— laura beck, Cosmopolitan, "Actress, Internet Star, and Mental Health Advocate Stevie Ryan Dead at 33," 4 July 2017
Apple's uncanny ability to convince customers to upgrade their devices every year, though waning, may have influenced Sony and Microsoft, too.

— mark walton, Ars Technica, "iPhone at 10: How Apple changed gaming for the better and the worse," 27 June 2017
After 17 years at the company, Reid has earned a reputation as a customer oracle with an uncanny ability to predict users' wants and needs, according to those who work for her.

— carmel deamicis, Marie Claire, "Meet the Women Behind Amazon's Alexa," 26 June 2017

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

uncanny Synonyms

Synonyms

arcane, cryptic, deep, enigmatic (also enigmatical), impenetrable, inscrutable, mystic, occult, mysterious

Near Antonyms

fathomable, intelligible, understandable; apparent, clear, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable

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.

- 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

UNCANNY Defined for English Language Learners

uncanny

adjective

Definition of uncanny for English Language Learners

: strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or difficult to understand

UNCANNY Defined for Kids

uncanny

adjective un·can·ny \ ˌən-ˈka-nē \

Definition of uncanny for Students

1 :strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or mysterious

an uncanny resemblance

2 :suggesting powers or abilities greater than normal

an uncanny sense of direction

—

uncannily

\-ˈka-nə-lē\ adverb

They look uncannily similar.

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See words that rhyme with uncanny Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uncanny Spanish Central: Translation of uncanny Nglish: Translation of uncanny for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of uncanny for Arabic speakers

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uncanny was our Word of the Day on 10/20/2012. Hear the podcast!

Examples of uncanny in a Sentence

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First Known Use of uncanny

uncanny Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

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UNCANNY Defined for English Language Learners

uncanny

Definition of uncanny for English Language Learners

UNCANNY Defined for Kids

uncanny

Definition of uncanny for Students

uncannily

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