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.

Birthdays have an uncanny ability to turn us into the worst versions of ourselves.

From MarketWatch

Walk around it, and the shifting, light-reflective and -absorbent white forms create an uncanny illusion of the pillar in jumpy, unstable motion.

From Los Angeles Times

But it has an uncanny talent for being charming.

From The Wall Street Journal

But that appears to be changing with the likes of Optimus and sleeker droids which edge us closer to living in an uncanny valley.

From BBC

Mr. Michaels is perhaps best known for the uncanny ability to turn out a 90-minute live weekly show in just over five days, with final changes often made minutes before or even during the broadcast.

From The Wall Street Journal

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