uncanny

[uhn-kan-ee] / ʌnˈkæn i /

ADJECTIVE

very strange, unusual

Synonyms

STRONGEST

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

WEAK

creepy devilish ghostly ghoulish inexplainable inspired mysterious mystifying preternatural prodigious scary secret supernormal supranormal unearthly unheard-of unnatural weird

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bad boring common commonplace conventional customary dull expected familiar natural normal ordinary poor regular unremarkable usual

WEAK

earthly

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.

Throughout, the novel hovers in an uncanny limbo.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Her hysterical grin sets your teeth on edge; she alternates between swiftness and stillness in her uncanny movements.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

The degree to which the two periods have tracked each other — so far at least — is almost uncanny.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The similarities are uncanny: Nebius now has over 3.5 gigawatts of contracted capacity, the exact same figure CoreWeave reported last week.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Technically, I’m not doing anything wrong, not yet, but if the police stop me—well, let’s just say they have an uncanny ability to make technicalities disappear.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Vocabulary lists containing uncanny

100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!