variants also eery

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eerie distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When is it sensible to use uncanny instead of eerie?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

When can weird be used instead of eerie?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eerie Trapped and surrounded by an eerie forest, the townspeople face terrifying supernatural threats that emerge after dark. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024 Authorities, who are reportedly in possession of the eerie footage, have yet to confirm the identity of the staffer in the video. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 14 Nov. 2024 The body horror lingering at the fringes of this is very eerie. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 In my inbox sit three eerie, unsolicited photographs of a crime scene. Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for eerie 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eerie
Adjective
  • The creepy crawlies could also be the reason my base makeup application is… not its best some days.
    Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024
  • There’s a lot of creepy places to walk around here, but that moment with the assholes in the van inspired the song.
    Drew Fortune, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Even more weird was head coach Matt Eberflus still having a timeout in his pocket.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
  • For Murakami’s millions of readers, this confounding premise will sound familiar, even exciting, especially because the new book shares many elements with his first major novel, the confidently weird and exciting Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.
    Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Moss’s account of her childhood is stark and haunting.
    Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
  • That is surreal, that is haunting, that is something that Salvador Dalí would have painted.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near eerie

Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eerie. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on eerie

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