eerie

[eer-ee] / ˈɪər i /

ADJECTIVE

spooky

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bizarre creepy eldritch fantastic frightening ghostly mysterious scary strange supernatural uncanny weird

STRONG

awesome

WEAK

spectral unearthly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

common earthly familiar natural normal regular usual

WEAK

ordinary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for eerie?

Probably the closest synonym for eerie is spooky. These words are usually used to describe an atmosphere or place that’s scary in a subtle way—not due to obvious danger but rather to a perceived uncanny quality that’s perhaps supernatural and sinister (evil). A classic example of a place described as eerie is a haunted house. Similar words include creepy, chilling, foreboding, menacing, and ominous. These all suggest a frightening quality, but, unlike eerie and spooky, don’t imply that there is anything otherworldly about it. You can describe an eerie place as giving you the creeps, creeping you out, or inspiring a sense of dread. Sometimes the best way to indicate that a place is eerie is to show instead of tell: when describing it, instead of using the word eerie, describe the things that actually make it eerie, like the strange sounds coming from the attic and the painting of a girl whose eyes seem to follow you around the room.

What is another word for eerie silence?

An eerie silence is a silence that seems too quiet—one that suggests something bad is going to happen. An eerie silence isn’t necessarily entirely silent—the breeze might be blowing in the background, for example—but it is lacking some of the sounds you might expect to hear normally. A forest without any birds singing (at a time when they normally would be) might be described as eerily silent. Words to describe an eerie silence include strange and unnatural.

What is the opposite (antonym) of eerie?

Eerie describes things that are subtly frightening due to seeming strange or unnatural. The opposite of an eerie atmosphere is one that’s familiar or ordinary in a way that’s comforting, welcoming, calming, or reassuring.

Is it eerie or eery?

It can be spelled either way, but eerie is much more common.

How do you use eerie in a sentence?

Eerie is used to suggest unnaturalness and creepiness. Here are some examples of eerie in a sentence:

The house was so eerie once we’d moved all our stuff out—like it was a different place altogether.
At dawn, there was an eerie silence over the lake, and the strange mist made it even eerier.
Walking among the mannequins in the abandoned department was too eerie for me.

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.

Lines like “I love you, I love the Lord” arrive with syllables modified to fit the shape of an eerie melody, transforming the natural musicality of speech into something uncanny.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Stopping out of concern, they realize this is no normal accident, seeing the eerie man in the distance who disappears in the flicker of their hazard lights.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

“It certainly is an eerie coincidence that the big winners these days are Qualcomm, Intel and Cisco,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The pop star's unique, and somewhat eerie mirrored mask obscured her face.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

She started walking backward, as though afraid to turn away from the eerie web.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

eerie

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

Vocabulary lists containing eerie

The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween

Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween

NAEP Test Words

eerie

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

Related Words

Vocabulary lists containing eerie

The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween

Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween

NAEP Test Words