having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary: uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange: Uncanny sounds filled the house.
What does it mean when a person is uncanny?
1 : seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : eerie, mysterious. 2 : being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers.
Why do we say uncanny?
NOAD: uncanny |ˌənˈkanē| adjective ( -nier , -niest ) strange or mysterious, esp. in an unsettling way : an uncanny feeling that she was being watched . It comes from a Scottish term referring to the occult, or something malicious.
What does uncanny mean synonym?
The words eerie and weird are common synonyms of uncanny. While all three words mean “mysteriously strange or fantastic,” uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.
Is uncanny a feeling?
The uncanny is the psychological experience of something as strangely familiar , rather than simply mysterious. It may describe incidents where a familiar thing or event is encountered in an unsettling, eerie, or taboo context. ... For Freud, the uncanny locates the strangeness in the ordinary.
Can a person be uncanny?
The definition of uncanny refers to something odd, mysterious or unexpected that makes you feel uneasy . ... An example of uncanny is when someone looks almost exactly like your spouse.
What is the best synonyms for uncanny?
- unearthly.
- unheard-of.
- unnatural.
- weird.
- mystifying.
- inexplainable.
- supernormal.
- supranormal.
Is canny the opposite of uncanny?
Both words mean smart or sharp-witted, but they also suggest that someone is smart in a self-serving and possibly even tricky way. Canny is also related to the word cunning — another adjective meaning “wise,” but with negative connotations. Uncanny is not the opposite of canny — it means “weird” or “unsettling.”
How do you use the word uncanny?
You can also use uncanny to refer to something that is so remarkable that it is beyond what is natural , as in “She has an uncanny ability to find her way around new places.” This adjective was formed in English from the prefix un-, “not,” and canny, “fortunate, safe.” The current meaning of English canny is “careful ...
Is uncanny a good word?
having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary: uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange: Uncanny sounds filled the house.
What is uncanny according to Freud?
“Uncanny is in reality nothing new or alien, but something which is familiar and old-established in the mind and which has become alienated from it only through the process of repression .”Sigmund Freud.
Where did uncanny come from?
Uncanny has its origins in a word used in northern and Scottish English : ‘canny’ meaning smart or careful, preceded by the prefix ‘un’ which means ‘not’. Uncanny entered mainstream usage in the late 19th century, to refer to a situation that appears odd.
How do you avoid the uncanny valley?
- Steer clear of atypicalities at high levels of realism. ...
- Avoid “dead eyes.” A virtual character’s eyes are especially important. ...
- Use stylization and childish features for stylization.
What is the meaning of uncanny resemblance?
: strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or difficult to understand She had an uncanny resemblance to someone I had seen before. She has an uncanny sense of direction.
