eerie

adjective

ee·​rie ˈir-ē How to pronounce eerie (audio)
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 noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The show features new characters, eerie mysteries, and lots of surprises. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 13 Jan. 2025 After losing her home in the ongoing Southern California wildfires, Ricki Lake shared an eerie throwback in which the tragedy was predicted. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025 Ricki Lake is revisiting an eerie interaction with medium Tyler Henry. Raven Brunner, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025 An eerie soundscape coats one’s ears throughout, rarely allowing for an instant of complete silence. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for eerie 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (northern dialect) eri

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of eerie was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near eerie

-eer

eerie

eerily

Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eerie. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

eerie

adjective
ee·​rie
variants also eery
eerier; eeriest
: causing fear or uneasiness because of strangeness or gloominess
an eerie shadow
eerily adverb
eeriness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on eerie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!