1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word uncanny distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words eerie and weird are common synonyms of uncanny. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

In what contexts can eerie take the place of uncanny?

The words eerie and uncanny are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When would weird be a good substitute for uncanny?

Although the words weird and uncanny have much in common, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of uncanny What sets Ameca apart is not just her hyper-realistic facial expressions or uncanny ability to hold eye contact. Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 One of the biggest stories of the last U.S. presidential election was the uncanny ability of prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi to forecast the outcome. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 July 2025 The plot is organized around events that repeat: the murders; the reunion of the central characters; the uncanny echo among historical events like Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima. Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 There is also a slightly uncanny aspect to FedEx that felt fitting. Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncanny
Adjective
  • Years after gaining superpowers from being bombarded by cosmic rays in space, the astronauts-turned-superheroes face a new threat when the mysterious Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), heralds the coming of the world-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • More Miguel Rodriguez/Getty Images What's so mysterious about a team playing well?
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Libidinal hip-hop has vanished from the charts, now the province of artists who narrate their mental health struggles rather than their superhuman urges or tastes.
    Armin Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025
  • Mister Terrific technically possesses no true superhuman powers other than being extraordinarily smart.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • That kind of eerie alignment is how the song came into the world in the first place.
    Sarah Grant, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025
  • By the time of totality at 3:20 p.m., dense clouds obscured the view, with an eerie darkness and a golden horizon.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Whether the pair will do more to promote the album than share cryptic corresponding Instagram posts remains to be seen.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
  • Young engineers face a steep learning curve with cryptic interfaces and minimal documentation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Osbourne’s public rebirth with The Osbournes—the MTV reality series that ran from 2002 to 2005—transmuted his erratic nature and past struggles into a miraculous joke.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
  • The original statue in Manila was brought to the Philippines in 1606 and faithful around the world have attributed miraculous healing properties to the statue.
    Emilie Takahashi, Oc Register, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • The sobering and haunting experience, MacDonald said, has sparked an interest in how the search for missing persons can be improved.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2025
  • The video plays clips of the Weeknd singing the haunting lyrics in front of several cement backdrops that show the star stuck in a sort of purgatory.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • For a woman who devotes herself to God is a mystic, whereas a woman who lusts after a mortal man is a fool.
    Terry Nguyen July 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
  • The man from Osaka’s right arm is almost mystic, like one of California’s solemn redwoods.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • After encountering a magical heart in the forest, strange things start happening around her.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • But forget logic, because everything about Dillon’s magical run has defied logic.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 26 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncanny. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on uncanny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!