Dictionary
uncanny
adjective un·can·ny \ˌən-ˈka-nē\
: strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or difficult to understand
Full Definition of UNCANNY
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
— un·can·ni·ly \-ˈka-nə-lē\ adverb
— un·can·ni·ness \-ˈka-nē-nəs\ noun
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Examples of UNCANNY
- 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
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First Known Use of UNCANNY
1773
Related to UNCANNY
- Synonyms
- arcane, cryptic, deep, enigmatic (also enigmatical), impenetrable, inscrutable, mystic, occult, mysterious
Synonym Discussion of UNCANNY
weird, eerie, uncanny mean mysteriously strange or fantastic. weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress queerness 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>.
UNCANNY Defined for Kids
uncanny
adjective un·can·ny \ˌən-ˈka-nē\
Definition of UNCANNY for Kids
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>
— un·can·ni·ly \-ˈka-nə-lē\ adverb <They look uncannily similar.>
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