uncanny
adjective
un·can·ny ˌən-ˈka-nē 
uncannier; uncanniest
1
a
: seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : eerie, mysterious
b
: being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers
an uncanny sense of direction
2
chiefly Scotland : severe, punishing
uncannily
ˌən-ˈka-nə-lē
adverb uncanniness
ˌən-ˈka-nē-nəs
noun 
Did you know?
Uncanny describes that which unsettles us, such as disquieting observations, or mysterious situations and circumstances. Strip the word of its common negating prefix, though, and you’re left with canny, a word that shares semantic territory with clever and prudent. While canny and uncanny don’t appear to be antonyms, they both come from an early Scottish word canny meaning “free from risk; wise, prudent, cautious.” And in Scottish, canny has for centuries had a secondary meaning that correlates better to its mysterious cousin: the Oxford English Dictionary reports that the word is used in negative constructions to describe what is not safe to be involved with, or more broadly, what is not in accordance with what is right or natural. Rather uncanny.
Synonyms
- arcane
- cryptic
- deep
- enigmatic
- enigmatical
- impenetrable
- inscrutable
- mysterious
- mystic
- occult
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
I was struck by his uncanny ability to communicate arcane, complex economic policy and by his punk-rock instinct to question the status quo. 
Bono, Time, 18 Apr. 2005 To an economist, the 1990s bear an uncanny resemblance to two earlier decades: the 1920s in the United States and the 1980s in Japan. In all three decades, technological change produced extraordinary economic growth, leading to talk of a "new era" and triggering a bull market in stocks that terminated in a market collapse—widely regarded as the bursting of a speculative bubble. Milton Friedman, Wall Street Journal, 22 Jan. 2002 As he approached quite close to the enclosure he saw an excited group surrounding the two fugitives, who, trembling with fright and exhaustion, were scarce able to recount the uncanny details of their adventure. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, 1914 She could not teach herself to think favourably of Pansy, whose absence of initiative, of conversation, of personal claims, seemed to her, in a girl of twenty, unnatural and even uncanny. Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881 She had an uncanny resemblance to someone I had seen before. She has an uncanny sense of direction. an uncanny ability to predict the weather See More
Bono, Time, 18 Apr. 2005 To an economist, the 1990s bear an uncanny resemblance to two earlier decades: the 1920s in the United States and the 1980s in Japan. In all three decades, technological change produced extraordinary economic growth, leading to talk of a "new era" and triggering a bull market in stocks that terminated in a market collapse—widely regarded as the bursting of a speculative bubble. Milton Friedman, Wall Street Journal, 22 Jan. 2002 As he approached quite close to the enclosure he saw an excited group surrounding the two fugitives, who, trembling with fright and exhaustion, were scarce able to recount the uncanny details of their adventure. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, 1914 She could not teach herself to think favourably of Pansy, whose absence of initiative, of conversation, of personal claims, seemed to her, in a girl of twenty, unnatural and even uncanny. Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881 She had an uncanny resemblance to someone I had seen before. She has an uncanny sense of direction. an uncanny ability to predict the weather See More Recent Examples on the Web Cash's hit-making career lasted nearly half a century and crossed with uncanny easy into multiple genres while capturing a shockingly diverse range of fan bases. Fox News, 12 Sep. 2022 Carey’s physical similarity to Olivia Cooke — who takes over the role of Alicent Hightower partway through the first season of Dragon — is rather uncanny in the series. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 Invisible brows, by comparison, require just a quick swipe of a razor or a coat of bleach every week or two to create an uncanny effect. Isabel Slone, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The complicated Raquel, with her uncanny insight into personalities and her awkward social skills, is an intriguing character who can support a series. Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 And then there are her uncanny gifts as a shape-shifting performer who can deliver indelible portraits of multiple characters onstage, segueing deftly from one to another in the blink of an eye. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 In an uncanny case of life imitating memes, Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone have reportedly split less than three months after the model turned 25. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022 The book’s publication right as the radical movement reached its early apogee, as well as Turgenev’s remarkable quality of insight, gives it an uncanny position in Russian literature and life. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Somehow, the kid from French Lick had an uncanny belief in himself, no matter what others said. Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2022 See More
Fox News, 12 Sep. 2022 Carey’s physical similarity to Olivia Cooke — who takes over the role of Alicent Hightower partway through the first season of Dragon — is rather uncanny in the series. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 Invisible brows, by comparison, require just a quick swipe of a razor or a coat of bleach every week or two to create an uncanny effect. Isabel Slone, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The complicated Raquel, with her uncanny insight into personalities and her awkward social skills, is an intriguing character who can support a series. Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 And then there are her uncanny gifts as a shape-shifting performer who can deliver indelible portraits of multiple characters onstage, segueing deftly from one to another in the blink of an eye. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 In an uncanny case of life imitating memes, Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone have reportedly split less than three months after the model turned 25. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022 The book’s publication right as the radical movement reached its early apogee, as well as Turgenev’s remarkable quality of insight, gives it an uncanny position in Russian literature and life. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Somehow, the kid from French Lick had an uncanny belief in himself, no matter what others said. Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
uncanny
adjective
un·can·ny ˌən-ˈka-nē
1
: strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or mysterious
an uncanny resemblance
2
: suggesting powers or abilities greater than normal
an uncanny sense of direction
uncanny
adjective
1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain a number of uncanny parallels in the lives of the twins who had been separated at birth Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- mysterious
- cryptic
- mystic
- enigmatic
- unexplainable
- obscure
- deep
- enigmatical
- occult
- dark
- inscrutable
- mystical
- ambiguous
- murky
- vague
- inexplicable
- arcane
- impenetrable
- unfathomable
- confusing
- incomprehensible
- metaphysical
- supernatural
- esoteric
- shadowy
- fuzzy
- imponderable
- baffling
- bewildering
- unknowable
- puzzling
- unaccountable
- numinous
- unintelligible
- perplexing
- mystifying
- darkling
- unanswerable
- confounding
- befuddling
- equivocal
- disorienting
- recondite
- unsearchable
- abstruse
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- understandable
- intelligible
- apparent
- unmistakable
- obvious
- evident
- fathomable
- clear
- palpable
- unequivocal
- manifest
- unambiguous
- straightforward
- perspicuous
- plain
- transparent
- patent
- open-and-shut
2
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature an uncanny gift for knowing when someone, no matter how distant, needed help Synonyms & Similar Words
- superhuman
- miraculous
- magical
- remarkable
- strange
- eerie
- unique
- supernatural
- bizarre
- phenomenal
- peculiar
- unearthly
- preternatural
- transcendental
- outstanding
- unusual
- marvelous
- transcendent
- curious
- supernormal
- rare
- uncommon
- weird
- grotesque
- eery
- marvellous
- singular
- unnatural
- puzzling
- funny
- baffling
- freakish
- outrageous
- bewildering
- quirky
- perplexing
- striking
- mystifying
- idiosyncratic
- confounding
- outlandish
- shocking
- fantastic
- quaint
- prodigious
- wacky
- screwy
- fantastical
- atypical
- outré
- kinky
- whacky
- unconventional
- notable
- unwonted
- queerish
- aberrant
- unorthodox
- salient
- freak
- noticeable
- conspicuous
- wild
- far-out
- queer
- way-out
- prominent
- uncustomary
- flaky
- out-of-the-way
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ordinary
- usual
- typical
- prosaic
- commonplace
- unremarkable
- average
- familiar
- everyday
- routine
- unexceptional
- garden
- predictable
- common
- expected
- customary
- workaday
- frequent
- habitual
- regular
- run-of-the-mill
- wonted
3
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic uncanny and unexpected shadows along the mountainsides Synonyms & Similar Words
- eerie
- haunting
- eery
- creepy
- weird
- spooky
- unearthly
- bizarre
- unusual
- mysterious
- terrifying
- peculiar
- odd
- uncommon
- spectral
- ghostlike
- ghostly
- ghoulish
- spookish
- curious
- ghastly
- quirky
- outlandish
- preternatural
- supernatural
- enigmatic
- quaint
- puzzling
- outré
- metaphysical
- horrifying
- terrible
- inscrutable
- horrible
- enigmatical
- queerish
- fearsome
- dreadful
- unaccustomed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- common
- ordinary
- normal
- usual
- typical
- natural
- commonplace
- everyday
- prosaic
- familiar
- routine
- unremarkable
- unexceptional
- predictable
- expected
Synonym Chooser
The words eerie and weird are common synonyms of uncanny. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.
an uncanny resemblance between total strangers
The words eerie and uncanny are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.
an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid
Although the words weird and uncanny have much in common, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.
weird creatures from another world