uncanny
English · Thesaurus
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uncanny
- /ʌnˈkæni/ US
Rhymes with -æni
Where it comes from
From un- + canny; thus “beyond one's ken,” or outside one's familiar knowledge or perceptions. Compare Middle English unkanne (“unknown”). In the noun sense a translation of Sigmund Freud's usage of German unheimlich (Das Unheimliche, 1919).
adjective uncannier · uncanniest
- Strange, and mysteriously unsettling (as if supernatural); weird. He bore an uncanny resemblance to the dead sailor.
- Careless.
noun
- Something that is simultaneously familiar and strange, typically leading to feelings of discomfort. This uncontrollable possibility—the possibility of a certain loss of control—can, perhaps, explain why the uncanny remains a marginal notion even within psychoanalysis itself.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: eldritch, weird, unco, unearthly, unnatural, supernatural, eerie, bizarre, eery, strange, peculiar, odd, mind-boggling, puzzling, confusing, surprising
Translations
Every language
adj strange, mysteriously unsettling
| Español | inquietante, espeluznante, escalofriante |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 不気味な bukimi na |
| 中文 | 诡异 guǐyì |
| Português | estranho, perturbador |
| Français | déroutant, déroutante, étrange, troublant |
| Deutsch | unheimlich, gruselig, seltsam, verstörend, verblüffend, frappierend |
| Italiano | bizzarro, strano, sconcertante, curioso, inquietante, angosciante |
| Ελληνικά | αλλόκοτος allókotos |
| Română | bizar |
| Русский | сверхъесте́ственный sverxʺjestéstvennyj, жу́ткий žútkij |
noun something that is simultaneously familiar and strange
| Français | inquiétante étrangeté |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Unheimliche, Verstörende |
| Ελληνικά | ανοίκειο anoíkeio |
Talk about this word "uncanny." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/uncanny. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. uncanny. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/uncanny "uncanny." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/uncanny.Cite this
@misc{uncanny_2026,
title = {uncanny},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/uncanny},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
