uncanny
Americanadjective
-
having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary.
uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble.
-
mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange.
Uncanny sounds filled the house.
- Synonyms:
- odd, preternatural
adjective
-
characterized by apparently supernatural wonder, horror, etc
-
beyond what is normal or expected
an uncanny accuracy
Related Words
See weird.
Other Word Forms
- uncannily adverb
- uncanniness noun
Etymology
Origin of uncanny
Explanation
If something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural. If you hear strange music echoing through your attic, you might refer to it as positively uncanny. You can also use uncanny to refer to something that is so remarkable that it is beyond what is natural, as in "She has an uncanny ability to find her way around new places." This adjective was formed in English from the prefix un-, "not," and canny, "fortunate, safe." The current meaning of English canny is "careful and clever, especially in handling money."
Vocabulary lists containing uncanny
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
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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.
It becomes even more uncanny when I’m led into a book-filled living room that overlooks the river and asked to wait a few minutes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Meanwhile, Russ Field, the band's former guitarist, said Oakes had an "uncanny natural talent to write catchy melodies and lyrics".
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
That’s not the only moment in Hobsbawm’s 1994 book “The Age of Extremes” that now reads as uncanny.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
The Boston Herald noted in a review that DeCarlo “did a phenomenal job on vocals, consistently nailing the money notes and conjuring an uncanny likeness to Delp’s overall style and tone.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
“So, young Harry,” said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, “mind you behave yourself.”
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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.
