uncanny
uhn-KA-nee
Uncanny (adj) means Strange in a way that feels unsettling or almost supernatural. Example: “There was an uncanny silence in the house after everyone left.”
adj
1
Strange in a way that feels unsettling or almost supernatural.
"The new iPhone promises “next level” photography with push-button ease. But the results look odd and uncanny."
— Kyle Chayka, Have iPhone Cameras Become Too Smart? (2022)
"He bore an uncanny resemblance to the dead sailor."
"These men had some uncanny knack of knowing when the steel was right, and like many such things, it just could not be put into a textbook on the subject."
— , Some memories of Crewe Works—III (1945)
"There was an uncanny silence in the house after everyone left."
"He bears an uncanny resemblance to his grandfather."
How to use uncanny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo strange or eerily precise that it feels almost impossible to explain naturally.
Common pairings
uncanny resemblance
uncanny accuracy
uncanny silence
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like uncanny.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- uncannier
- Superlative
- uncanniest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was an _____ silence in the house after everyone left.
Etymology
From un- + canny ("knowing, familiar") — literally "beyond what is familiar or knowable." The related noun sense translates Sigmund Freud's German term unheimlich, popularised in his 1919 essay "Das Unheimliche."
Class of 1919
uncanny joined the language around 1919.
See the full Class of 1919 →
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for uncanny
See all rhymes for uncanny →Frequently asked questions
What does “uncanny” mean?
The word “uncanny” means strange in a way that feels unsettling or almost supernatural. In plain terms, so strange or eerily precise that it feels almost impossible to explain naturally.
How do you pronounce “uncanny”?
“Uncanny” is pronounced uhn-KA-nee (/ʌnˈkæni/ in IPA).
How do you use “uncanny” in a sentence?
Here is “uncanny” used in a sentence: “There was an uncanny silence in the house after everyone left.”
What part of speech is “uncanny”?
“Uncanny” is an adjective.
Where does the word “uncanny” come from?
The word “uncanny” dates back to around 1919 and comes from German. From un- + canny ("knowing, familiar") — literally "beyond what is familiar or knowable." The related noun sense translates Sigmund Freud's German term unheimlich, popularised in his 1919 essay "Das Unheimliche.".
Is “uncanny” a common word?
“Uncanny” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include uncanny:
