variants also eery

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

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 eerie Visitors will navigate eerie scenes and encounter characters like The Nun, The Crooked Man and The Ferryman. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2025 One eerie photo captured a large handprint on the window of the three-storied home. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025 This season is way more spooky and eerie compared to the last, how does raising the horror aspect make season 2 more compelling to you as a fan and character? Malik Peay, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025 The disquieting nature of the show is bolstered by surprising narrative choices, body-horror dialogue delivered with resentment and a combination of dramatic lighting and sparse set design that made scenes feel eerie and bare. Julia Schiff, Twin Cities, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eerie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eerie
Adjective
  • One suspects that much of the camp’s darkness will stem from the show’s creepy counsellor, played by Toni Collette.
    Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Monsters may scurry around 'Alien: Earth,' but Noah Hawley suggests the really terrifying characters might be human beings Hawley says preserving the sheer horror of the original films was integral to his project, and as viewers will see, the Xenomorph eventually gets some creepy friends.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As well as artifacts that mutate into weirder, more powerful weapons.
    Curtis Silver, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Like everybody else in the show, he’s squeezed by the various, weird incentives of a capitalist medical system.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Based on a 1967 semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, the film is a haunting, harrowing look at the physical and emotional costs of war.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • The novel is described as a haunting portrait of five strangers forging fragile bonds amid war and displacement on the Sudanese border.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eerie. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on eerie

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