uncanny
61
7.0
- adjective
- /ʌnˈkæni/
:
inquietante
- Life, in fact, has an uncanny way of getting in the way of writing.
- an uncanny resemblance
- an uncanny ability
- bear an uncanny resemblance
And it was like so uncanny what this man knew about me.
- And it was like so uncanny what this man knew about me.
- And it was just almost uncanny how we put it together.
- Possessed of a strong moral compass and an uncanny instinct for a good story.
- It's, it's uncanny how well we all just clicked from day one.
- Like there'd be some uncanny valley, some weirdness to the whole presentation.
- Not only is the likeness so uncanny, she has all of Princess Anne's feistiness.
- He, he, he, he fell into that uncanny valley.
- And there's also some footage of the uncanny eyes that look like little OLED or LCD displays.
- Some of them like it's just the uncanny ability to drop into something and stay there.
- He has an uncanny ability to grasp exactly what is important.
Examples
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And she has this uncanny ability to find the good in what other people might call misfortune or tragedy.
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The eerie silence in the abandoned house felt particularly uncanny as I explored each room.
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And it was like so uncanny what this man knew about me.
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But now the house is going to turn into some very uncanny place.
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And it was just almost uncanny how we put it together.
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Because of her uncanny powers, she did not lose her beauty when she died.
Academic text (1998) -
The very best leaders, they have an uncanny combination of being humble and confident.
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It's, it's uncanny how well we all just clicked from day one.
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He has an uncanny ability to grasp exactly what is important.
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I was particularly struck by the woman who bore such a strange and uncanny resemblance to the hyena.
Fiction book (1998)
Synonyms
498
5.1
Hard to understand or explain because it seems strange
366
3.0
Making you feel nervous, uncomfortable, or a little afraid
165
6.9
Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous
96
3.2
Strange and frightening in a way that makes you feel nervous, like a ghost
91
5.1
A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby
25
3.8
Strange in a way that seems caused by ghosts or spirits
9
7.7
Very strange and not like anything from this world
5
9.8
Very unusual in a way that seems beyond what is natural
Strange in a way that makes you feel afraid or uneasy
Strange and frightening in a way that seems supernatural
Making you feel like something is crawling on your skin
Having a quality like a dream or a ghost that seems unreal
Appears like a ghost, not solid or easy to see
Antonyms
How Strange
Surface Forms
Morphology
uncanny = canny (opaque) = un + canny
Although formed as un- + canny, the meaning 'strange, eerie' is not a straightforward negation of 'canny' and the base is dialectal, so learners cannot reliably derive the sense.
Etymology
The word uncanny comes from un- ('not') and the Scots word canny ('careful' or 'knowing'). So it first meant something like 'not safe' or beyond ordinary knowledge, which is why uncanny now describes strange or mysterious things that feel unsettling.