Synonyms

uncanny

American

[uhn-kan-ee] / ʌnˈkæn i /

adjective

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

Antonyms:

natural, ordinary

uncanny British

/ ʌnˈkænɪ /

adjective

characterized by apparently supernatural wonder, horror, etc
beyond what is normal or expected

an uncanny accuracy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See weird.

Other Word Forms

uncannily adverb
uncanniness noun

Etymology

Origin of uncanny

First recorded in 1590–1600; un- ¹ + canny

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.

While I’ve always felt closer to Mom, Dad has an uncanny ability to know how I’m feeling without asking.

From Literature

Starting any new car company in America, let alone an electric one, requires uncanny maneuvering and persistence against every kind of bureaucratic, regulatory and political sandbagging.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was uncanny how they looked like water and land animals at the same time.

From Literature

And, along the way, the Patriots were boosted by an uncanny number of lucky breaks.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Tien’s all-around ability in every other aspect of the game gives him an uncanny ability to stay in rallies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023