EERIE Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'eerie' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie . While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work. // an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

Q: When is it sensible to use 'uncanny' instead of 'eerie'?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie , uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness. // an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

Q: When can 'weird' be used instead of 'eerie'?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness. // weird creatures from another world

eerie

adjective

ˈir-ē

variants also eery

Definition of eerie

as in haunting

fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic eerie noises would occasionally come from locked rooms in the castle

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How is the word eerie distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When is it sensible to use uncanny instead of eerie?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

When can weird be used instead of eerie?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of eerie Graveyards, which would seem haunted by definition, are popular destinations, and a few in the state are legendary for their eerie atmospheres and ghost sightings. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 See 15 inflatables and eight animatronics lining the lawn, creating a scene that’s both eerie and whimsical to delights neighbors. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 De Palma’s sequence followed that moment with an eerie silence, the only sound that of the clanking empty bucket, before all hell breaks loose. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 The story centers on The Apollyon, a mysterious and eerie residential building in New York City connected to a portal to Hell in its basement. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eerie

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eerie

Adjective

What unfolds is a heartbreaking, at times haunting story about a little boy who strove to become a legend, and the woman who understood his manic, at times reckless drive.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
For decades, the 1934 photograph of the Loch Ness Monster was a haunting image of a lost world.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of haunting

Adjective

Fashion goths — think Gabbriette, Amelia Gray, and Tish Weinstock — are resetting the aesthetic mainstream, taking otherwise dark and creepy aesthetics away from the margins of subculture.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
The model called upon a team of stylists to turn her into the creepy and scaly figure of Greek myth.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of creepy

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eerie

eeriness

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“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eerie. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of eerie

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