SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
uncanny
adjective
Strange in a way that seems beyond ordinary explanation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Strangely beyond the ordinary
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topUncanny describes an impression of something beyond ordinary explanation. Preternatural intensifies the unusual quality without proving a supernatural cause.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See uncanny in use
Her drawing bore an uncanny resemblance to the lost photograph.
An uncanny moment interrupted the daydream when a stranger repeated a private childhood phrase the character had never shared with him.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license