1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary
an editor with a preternatural sense of what will interest the book-buying public
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in supernatural
of, relating to, or being part of a reality beyond the observable physical universe
an investigator of preternatural phenomena
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature
a preternatural ability to predict how the stock market will perform
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preternatural
Megadeth was fueled by spite, inspired by speed, and enabled by Mustaine’s preternatural gift for Flying V warfare, as well as his knack for asking provocative economic queries about the salability of peace.
—
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
The most straightforward way to account for this preternatural smoothness is a period of inflation that provides time for the baby universe to reach a uniform temperature.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preternatural
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
The most straightforward way to account for this preternatural smoothness is a period of inflation that provides time for the baby universe to reach a uniform temperature.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preternatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preternatural
Adjective
-
Cheng traces how, with the help of Kim’s son Jong Il and a distant uncle who was once a pastor, Kim borrowed the tactics of religion to solidify extraordinary psychological control over an entire population.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The second-degree murder charge, officially classified as a class 2 felony with an extraordinary risk of harm, carries an average prison sentence of 17 years, according to nonpartisan legislative analysts.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Also in 2019, the Eternally Yours script helped Port and Wiseman land the job of adapting the UK series Ghosts, another single-camera supernatural comedy for CBS.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
-
The romancer, which bowed in SXSW, follows Julia (Hawke), a frustrated video game designer, and Charlie (Pullman), a struggling musician, having supernatural impacts on the world after attending a couples therapy seminar to repair their volatile relationship.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
He-Man has superhuman speed and strength and is invulnerable to most damage.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
-
Mythos marked a paradigm shift in AI capabilities, reportedly delivering processing power that enables superhuman coding and reasoning, a massive performance leap over previous models.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
But, in other respects, your approach to the future might have been unusual, at least by our modern lights.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
They have also been shown to exhibit play behavior with objects in their enclosures, highly unusual behavior for a reptile.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dystopian and paranormal romance were in.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet, Bruccoleri is absolutely exceptional in her role as a young woman determined to find her voice in a world that would so easily push her aside due to her appearance and eclectic curiosities.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Noël Coward’s writing for drunk is exceptional.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
In Madonna and Stuart Price’s manifesto for the singer’s forthcoming record, CONFESSIONS II, the duo has tapped into the transcendental properties of dance music.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
To the victim, a transcendental thief is still a thief.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preternatural. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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