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spookily

spookily

1 7.0
In a strange, frightening way that feels like a ghost
  • adverb
  • /ˈspuːkɪli/
translation icon : de manera escalofriante
  • His voice was spookily similar to the man's.
  • spookily quiet

Examples

  • She spoke in a spookily calm manner, which made everyone question her sincerity.

  • Whichever, their timing was spookily apt.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Orianna could be spookily intuitive.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • What co-workers told me is spookily true.

    Blog text (18)
  • It was spookily quiet.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • They looked spookily like pale raccoons in the faint light that filtered in through the blinds.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • At other times, his stubborn observations seem to hang spookily between clarity and obscurity—but then his lyrics always did too, and we like it when that happens.

    Blog text (25)
  • The abandoned house felt spookily empty at night, making everyone uneasy.

  • The fog covered the streets spookily, creating an eerie atmosphere that frightened the children.

Synonyms

oddly
vsspookily
150 3.4

In a strange or unexpected way

is more about causing fear with unnatural strangeness than mere peculiarity
weirdly
vsspookily
35 3.5

In a strange or unexpected way

is more tied to fearful unnatural strangeness rather than mere oddity
eerily
vsspookily
30 6.8

In a strange and frightening way

is specifically ghostlike and more unnerving than merely strange
freakishly
vsspookily
14 7.7

In a very unusual and surprising way

is more about causing fear and unnatural strangeness than mere abnormality
disturbingly
vsspookily
14 5.3

In a way that makes you feel worried or uneasy

is more focused on ghostlike or unnatural fear than general anxiety
bizarrely
vsspookily
12 4.4

In a strange or unexpected way

is less general oddity and more about frightening unnatural strangeness
frighteningly
vsspookily
12 5.7

In a way that makes you feel scared

is less intense leaning toward ghostlike strange atmosphere than terror
terrifyingly
vsspookily
5 6.5

In a way that is very frightening or very strong to show how serious something is

is milder and centers on strange unnerving qualities rather than extreme fear
uncannily
vsspookily
5 6.9

In a way that is strange, surprising, and hard to explain

is more about unnatural frightening mood rather than mere mystery
creepily
vsspookily
4 4.9

In a way that makes someone feel afraid or uncomfortable

is more about strange, unnatural atmosphere than direct fear
scarily
vsspookily
4 4.9

In a way that makes you feel afraid or very worried

is usually milder stressing strange unnatural feeling rather than terror
chillingly
vsspookily
3 6.3

In a way that makes you feel afraid or very uncomfortable

is more focused on strange unsettling feeling than on cold sensation
horrifyingly
vsspookily
3 6.7

In a way that makes people feel very afraid or shocked

is less about shocking terror and more about strange unsettling mood
unsettlingly
vsspookily
1 7.0

In a way that makes you feel worried or nervous

is more tied to ghostlike frightening strangeness than general unease
unnervingly
vsspookily
1 7.5

In a way that makes someone feel nervous or uneasy

is more about ghostlike unnatural fright than simple nervousness
fearsomely
vsspookily
1 7.5

In a way that makes people afraid

is more about unusual unnatural strangeness than clear intimidation
nightmarishly
vsspookily
1 7.5

It happens in a very unpleasant and frightening way

is less intensely horrific and more about strange ghostlike atmosphere
spectrally
vsspookily
  • Literature
9.6

In a way that looks or sounds like a ghost

is about unnatural frightening strangeness rather than only ghost resemblance
freakily
vsspookily
6.3

In a very strange way that feels surprising

is more focused on causing fear or unsettling effect than odd remarkability

Antonyms

884 1.0

In the usual way that people expect

19 1.3

With little worry and no stress

How Eerie

terrifyingly
5 6.5
creepily
4 4.9
spookily
1 7.0
eerily
30 6.8
oddly
150 3.4

Surface Forms

spookily positive

Morphology

spookily = spooky (transparent) = spook + y + ly

The adverb is a straightforward -ly formation from the adjective 'spooky', giving 'in a spooky manner'.

Etymology

The word spookily comes from the adjective spooky, which comes from spook, an old word for a 'ghost'. So something done spookily is done in a 'strangely frightening' or 'ghost-like' way.