1. weird, strange, mysterious, queer, unearthly, eerie, supernatural, unnatural, spooky (
informal
), creepy (informal), eldritch (poetic), preternatural I had this uncanny feeling that Alice was warning me.
Is uncanny a bad word?
Pronunciation: ên-kæ-nee • Hear it! Meaning: Weird, eerie, striking in an almost supernatural way; so accurate as to seem not humanly possible. Notes: This word is now officially
an orphan negative
, a negative antonym of a word that no longer exists.
What does uncanny mean slang?
uncanny un-KAN-ee adjective. 1 :
seeming to have a supernatural character or origin
: eerie, mysterious. 2 : being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers. Examples: Our waiter had an uncanny resemblance to the creepy villain in the film we had just seen.
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.
Is uncanny a slang?
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.
Can a person be uncanny?
An example of uncanny is
when someone looks almost exactly like your spouse
. So remarkable, acute, etc. as to seem preternatural. … in such a way as to frighten or make uneasy; preternaturally strange; eerie; weird.
Can you say someone is uncanny?
If you describe something as uncanny, you mean
that it is strange and difficult to explain
. … proudly holding his new baby, who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. I had this uncanny feeling that Alice was warning me.
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.”
What is the synonym of uncanny?
eerie
, unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, unreal, ghostly, mysterious, strange, abnormal, odd, curious, queer, weird, bizarre, freakish.
What are two synonyms for uncanny?
- astounding.
- eerie.
- exceptional.
- fantastic.
- incredible.
- remarkable.
- singular.
- spooky.
What is uncanny 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.
What is uncanny ability?
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 …
What is uncanny timing?
1 characterized by apparently supernatural wonder, horror, etc. 2
beyond what is normal or expected
.
Is uncanny a Scottish word?
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.
Who created the word uncanny?
The term was first used by
German psychiatrist Ernst Jentsch
in his essay On the Psychology of the Uncanny, 1906. Jentsch describes the uncanny – in German ‘unheimlich’ (unhomely) – as something new and unknown that can often be seen as negative at first.
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.
