eldritch

English

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eldritch

/ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/

Where it comes from

From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other” (related to Old English ellende and modern English else); others think that it derives from elf. It was reintroduced into popular literature by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.

adjective more eldritch · most eldritch · eldrich · elrich · elritch

Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural. So Maggie runs, the witches follow, / Wi' mony an eldritch ſkreech and hollow.
ghastly, hideous.
alien, spooky, weird.

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MLA

"eldritch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/eldritch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

eldritch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/eldritch

Chicago

"eldritch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/eldritch.

BibTeX

@misc{eldritch_2026,
  title = {eldritch},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/eldritch},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}