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

North America will enjoy the best views of this eerie phenomenon, with totality lasting 65 minutes in the middle of the night. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

With luminous, surreal animals, EMA challenges human folly in eerie silence. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024

This scenario could be played for eerie tragedy: In the 1959 film On the Beach, Australians go about their ordinary lives while waiting for the fallout of a nuclear war to arrive and complete humanity’s erasure. —Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2024

Ghosts aside, parts of the Fairmont felt downright eerie. —Danielle Harling, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 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