eerie

Or ee·ry

[eer-ee]

adjective

eerier, eeriest 

1. uncanny, so as to inspire superstitious fear; weird

   an eerie midnight howl.

2. Chiefly Scot.,  affected with superstitious fear.

eerie

/ ˈɪərɪ /

adjective

1. (esp of places, an atmosphere, etc) mysteriously or uncannily frightening or disturbing; weird; ghostly

Other Word Forms

• eerily adverb
• eeriness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of eerie¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English eri, dialectal variant of argh, Old English earg “cowardly”; cognate with Old Frisian erg, Old Norse argr “evil,” German arg “cowardly”

Word History and Origins

Origin of eerie¹

C13: originally Scottish and Northern English, probably from Old English earg cowardly, miserable

Synonym Study

See weird.

Example Sentences

The forest has taken on an eerie, uncharacteristic silence.

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After a brief discussion, they decided to make eerie ghostie noises.

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In the sky: a full moon, its eerie glow partially obscured by dark, swirling clouds.

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Social distancing made for an eerie feeling inside a sparsely populated Hampden Park.

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Her headlights lit up the water, casting an eerie glow on the surrounding rocks.

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Related Words

• bizarre 
• creepy 
• eldritch 
• fantastic 
• frightening www.thesaurus.com
• ghostly 
• mysterious 
• scary 
• strange 
• supernatural 
• uncanny 
• weird