eldritch
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of eldritch
First recorded in 1500–10; earlier elrich, elphrish; of disputed origin: probably elf + Middle English riche “realm, kingdom”
Explanation
Eldritch things are spooky and weird — they make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. If you're reading a horror or fantasy story, you may see the word eldritch, which means uncanny, unearthly, and weird in a supernatural way. Anything a witch does is eldritch. Goblins and elves are eldritch creatures. A story full of ghosts and strange monsters is full of eldritch elements. You won't find much that's eldritch in a story about lawyers or doctors. Those kinds of stories are more realistic.
Vocabulary lists containing eldritch
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
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Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
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Wayne State Word Warriors Words to Rescue, 2014-2015 Edition
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was also a talented artist who loved painting with his kids, and a voracious reader fond of the speculative science fiction of Philip K. Dick and the eldritch tales of H. P. Lovecraft.
From Science Magazine • May 15, 2024
The eldritch, alien movements of octopus arms have captivated people for generations.
From Salon • Dec. 1, 2023
The death of a student at an elite Massachusetts academy threatens to shatter a pact that has protected four families with eldritch powers since the 17th century.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2019
Even the most jaded late-career coders I’ve met still routinely marvel at the eldritch nature of their work.
From Slate • Oct. 16, 2019
The unofficial and true story involved a Bog Monster following him and Sheed home after they uncovered an eldritch patch of swamp deep in the Gnarled Forest.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
