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 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

Related article How this cult Japanese artist’s eerie paintings foretold our digital malaise As a result, some of today’s biggest Hello Kitty fans are those who grew up with her in the 1980s and ‘90s. —Oscar Holland, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024

Reports of mysterious kicks on the seats of the building's Regal movie theater, eerie laughter and ghostly apparitions are frequently tied to the building. —Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 31 Oct. 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