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 eerie electropop song, released nearly a year after Lively came forward with her claims against Baldoni, contains icy lyrics about a female friend of Swift's who is embroiled in controversy. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 20 July 2026

The eerie glow of an orange sun through thick wildfire smoke might be unnerving, but the biggest risk from the haze is something much harder to see. — Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Gu-cheon meets the massive, faceless spirit-figure on the rocky shores of an eerie island. — Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026

Yet the disorienting scale of the image and Ludwig Göransson’s pulsing, ethereal score yield an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026