uncanny

[ uhn-kan-ee ]

adjective

1. having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary:

   uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble.

2. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange:

   Uncanny sounds filled the house.

   Synonyms: odd, preternatural

   Antonyms: natural, ordinary

uncanny

/ ʌnˈkænɪ /

adjective

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

   an uncanny accuracy

Derived Forms

• unˈcanniness, noun
• unˈcannily, adverb

Other Words From

• un·canni·ly adverb
• un·canni·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of uncanny¹

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

Synonym Study

See weird.

Example Sentences

Both have family lives that are jeopardized by their work and there’s an uncanny parallel between the two, even though their paths rarely intersect.

From Los Angeles Times

Musk has an uncanny capacity to turn certain defeat into rollicking success.

From Slate

The Harris sketch also gave cast member James Austin Johnson another crack at his uncanny Trump impersonation.

From Salon

But a look back at Harris’s time in and out of California's courtrooms reveals her enduring struggle to define herself, what her opponents say is a history of pivoting on issues depending on the political weather, as well as her uncanny ability to seize the moment when others have counted her out.

From BBC

But Raiola has also struggled to maintain his early promise that sparked comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes beyond the uncanny physical resemblance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• astonishing
• astounding
• eerie
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• fantastic
• incredible
• magical
• miraculous
• remarkable
• singular
• spooky
• superhuman
• supernatural