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 does uncanny mean ‘?
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.
What is an example of 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 does uncanny mean in literature?
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 Freud’s notion of the uncanny?
Freud’s general thesis: The uncanny is anything we experience in adulthood that reminds us of earlier psychic stages , of aspects of our unconscious life, or of the primitive experience of the human species.
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.
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 ...
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.”
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 are two synonyms for uncanny?
- astounding.
- eerie.
- exceptional.
- fantastic.
- incredible.
- remarkable.
- singular.
- spooky.
What is an uncanny double?
The “double” is a theme that has quite often been addressed over centuries of time; one of the most iconic being in Sigmund Freud’s essay titled The Uncanny. ... This barrier is what then brings the two together to form the “uncanny” – when something unfamiliar gets added to which is familiar.
What is the synonym of uncanny?
eerie , unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, unreal, ghostly, mysterious, strange, abnormal, odd, curious, queer, weird, bizarre, freakish.
How do you make something uncanny?
In essence, to create the experience of the uncanny, a writer must take something familiar to her readers and make it unfamiliar . That unfamiliarity should involve an unrepressed emotional state and teeter both characters and readers on the very edge of reality.
Where does uncanny come from?
Origin and usage
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 cite Freud’s uncanny?
MLA (7th ed.)
Freud, Sigmund, David McLintock, and Hugh Haughton. The Uncanny. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. Print.
