Synonyms of eerie

eerie

adjective

ˈir-ē 

variants also eery

as in haunting

fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic

eerie noises would occasionally come from locked rooms in the castle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• haunting
• creepy
• weird
• spooky
• uncanny
• bizarre
• unearthly
• mysterious
• unusual
• terrifying
• spectral
• ghostly
• ghoulish
• odd
• spookish
• curious
• ghastly
• quirky
• uncommon
• peculiar
• ghostlike
• quaint
• enigmatic
• outlandish
• supernatural
• horrible
• outré
• metaphysical
• puzzling
• horrifying
• terrible
• inscrutable
• preternatural
• unaccustomed
• dreadful
• queerish
• fearsome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• normal
• common
• usual
• ordinary
• typical
• commonplace
• routine
• everyday
• natural
• prosaic
• unremarkable
• familiar
• unexceptional
• predictable
• expected

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eerie distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When is it sensible to use uncanny instead of eerie?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

When can weird be used instead of eerie?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of eerie

The harsh artificial lighting completely shattered the otherworldly atmosphere, robbing us of our chance to experience totality's eerie darkness. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026

The Bachelorette alum, who experienced a high last week after announcing his fiancée Tate Madden’s pregnancy during Dedication Night, performed an eerie Viennese waltz inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026

The track begins with an eerie, atmospheric guitar clang, but Gosling and his bandmate, Zach Shields, quickly pick up the pace, finding a sweet spot between unvarnished post-punk production and arena-sized emotions. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026

Phrased as if for a story that would never be written, this jotting, complete in itself, conjures an eerie world in which violence toward one person reverberates through other people in other places, leaving human bodies mysteriously linked. — Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026