unearthly

adjective

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

d

: weird, eerie

unearthly howls

e

: absurd, ungodly

gets up at an unearthly hour

unearthliness noun

Synonyms

• magical
• miraculous
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• superhuman
• supernatural
• supernormal
• transcendent
• transcendental
• uncanny

Examples of unearthly in a Sentence

We left at the unearthly time of 5:00 a.m.

an unearthly knack for picking winning lottery numbers

Recent Examples on the Web

With her giant eyes — which can project vulnerability or shift into unearthly confidence — and her raspy voice, Stone locates the star inside the striver and vice versa. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024

His most beloved work is probably The Changeling, about a man whose wife abruptly begins to claim that their baby isn’t really their baby, to unsettling and unearthly results. —Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

And, third, there was the unearthly rush of the conflagrations. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025

What really does get Daph’s juices flowing is the unidentifiable unearthly sound Darcy captured after stepping inside a circle of mushrooms — never advisable. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unearthly

• unearthly hour/time

Rhymes for unearthly

• earthly

Kids 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