eerie

adjective

ee·​rie ˈir-ē 

variants or less commonly eery

eerier; eeriest

1

: so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up the spine

a coyote's eerie howl

the similarities were eerie

also : seemingly not of earthly origin

the flames cast an eerie glow

2

chiefly Scotland : affected with fright : scared

eeriness

ˈir-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• creepy
• haunting
• spookish
• spooky
• uncanny
• unearthly
• weird

Choose the Right Synonym for eerie

weird, eerie, uncanny mean mysteriously strange or fantastic.

weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

Examples of eerie in a Sentence

The flames cast an eerie glow.

a land of eerie beauty

Recent Examples on the Web

The Emmy-winning screenwriter and producer, who died in 1975, headed the acclaimed TV series, which aired on CBS from 1959 to 1964, as well as its many memorable, and eerie, episodes. —Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Eyewitness reports, social media videos and officials confirm the drones are up to 6 feet in diameter, can quickly go from emitting eerie lights to no light at all and often avoid detection. —Sophia Pargas, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024

That was spooky: The fog on Capitol Hill yesterday was so eerie. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

Emma Corrin’s looks are slightly eerie but in a way that feels modern and chic. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (northern dialect) eri

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

eerie

adjective

ee·​rie

variants also eery

ˈi(ə)r-ē 

eerier; eeriest

: causing fear or uneasiness because of strangeness or gloominess

an eerie shadow

eerily

ˈir-ə-lē 

adverb

eeriness

ˈir-ē-nəs 

noun