un·earth·ly
ˌən-ˈərth-lē 
: not earthly: such as
a
: not mundane : ideal
unearthly love
b
: not terrestrial
unearthly radio sources
c
: preternatural, supernatural
an unearthly light
unearthliness
noun
un·earthliness
"+
: the quality or state of being unearthly: such as
a
: spirituality, unworldliness
the impressive unearthliness of the preacher's expression
b
: eeriness, preternaturalness
amid its amazing thrill, a strange unearthliness—
Gilbert Murray
Gilbert MurrayExamples of unearthly in a Sentence
Adjective
We left at the unearthly time of 5:00 a.m.
an unearthly knack for picking winning lottery numbers
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The effect is both unearthly and mystical.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
And, much like Earth’s atmosphere, Titan’s air is mostly nitrogen, albeit with small and distinctly unearthly amounts of methane and hydrogen.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
The crossroads legend seems to have originated with the unearthly skills of Tommy Johnson, a singer and guitarist born in Mississippi in the 1890s.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unearthly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The effect is both unearthly and mystical.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
And, much like Earth’s atmosphere, Titan’s air is mostly nitrogen, albeit with small and distinctly unearthly amounts of methane and hydrogen.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
The crossroads legend seems to have originated with the unearthly skills of Tommy Johnson, a singer and guitarist born in Mississippi in the 1890s.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unearthly
Cite this Entry
“Unearthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unearthly. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearthly
adjective
un·earth·ly
ˌən-ˈərth-lē
ˈən-
1
: not of or belonging to the earth
unearthly terrain
2
: supernatural sense 2, weird, terrifying
an unearthly scream
unearthliness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
