English Meaning & Definitions
Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling, eerie, or supernatural way.
- โShe had an uncanny ability to predict the weather hours before any storm arrived.โ
- โThe resemblance between the two strangers was uncanny, almost as if they were identical twins separated at birth.โ
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for โuncannyโ.
Originating in the late 16th century from Scots and Northern English dialects, 'uncanny' is formed by combining the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') with 'canny' (meaning 'knowing, safe, cautious, or fortunate'). Thus, its literal historical meaning was 'not safe to trust' or 'associated with supernatural arts.' Over time, the meaning evolved from 'dangerous and mysterious' to its modern sense of being strangely familiar, eerie, or mysteriously supernatural.
Think of 'un-canny' as something that cannot be 'canned' or contained by normal human understandingโit is too eerie and mysterious.
Frequently Asked Questions About โuncannyโ
1. What is the meaning of โuncannyโ in English?
In English, uncanny (adjective) is defined as: โStrange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling, eerie, or supernatural way.โ.
2. How do you use โuncannyโ in a sentence?
โShe had an uncanny ability to predict the weather hours before any storm arrived.โ
3. What are English synonyms of โuncannyโ?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of โuncannyโ?
Originating in the late 16th century from Scots and Northern English dialects, 'uncanny' is formed by combining the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') with 'canny' (meaning 'knowing, safe, cautious, or fortunate'). Thus, its literal historical meaning was 'not safe to trust' or 'associated with supernatural arts.' Over time, the meaning evolved from 'dangerous and mysterious' to its modern sense of being strangely familiar, eerie, or mysteriously supernatural.
๐ฌ๐งMore English Words to English
View all English words โThe base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.