eerie

adjective

ee·​rie ˈir-ē How to pronounce eerie (audio)
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 noun
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 An artist edits Civil Rights images to eerie effect The artist’s poem reflects on these wider implications, as well as their own history and experiences as an Indigenous person in North America. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 The series of events has eerie parallels to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, among other tragic conflicts. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 You are plunged into this eerie twilight where the sky looks a purply, silver color. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society posted eerie video of the shipwreck, showing the vessel's remains, including its wheel and dislodged smokestack. Stephen Smith, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2024 Taken in by eerie ghosts called the Wilis, Giselle then enters an ethereal world where dance is the language of the soul. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 In an eerie coincidence, the designer Catherine Maladrino produced a flag shirtdress just before 9/11 that Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone, and Madonna would all go on to wear. Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 This was particularly eerie because The Zone of Interest has a scope that transcends its setting. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 The firefight at the airport came as an eerie calm covered the capital as the country braced for the return of Henry from Kenya. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eerie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (northern dialect) eri

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of eerie was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near eerie

Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eerie. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eerie

adjective
ee·​rie
variants also eery
eerier; eeriest
: causing fear or uneasiness because of strangeness or gloominess
an eerie shadow
eerily adverb
eeriness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on eerie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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