eerie en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈɪːɹɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- audio SSB
- /ˈɪəɹi/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈiəɹi/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈɪɹi/ General American, mirror–nearer merger
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈɛːɹi/ East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
- /ˈiɾe/ (Scotland)
- /ˈɪɚi/ (US) without the mirror–nearer merger
- /ˈiɾɪ/ (Scotland)
- /ˈiɹi/ (US) without the mirror–nearer merger
- /ˈiɾi/ (Scotland)
Etymology
From Middle English eri (“fearful”), from Old English earg (“cowardly, fearful”), from Proto-West Germanic *arg, from Proto-Germanic *argaz. Akin to Scots ergh, argh from the same Old English source. Doublet of argh.
Meanings
-
Inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way; strange, weird.
The eerie sounds seemed to come from the graveyard after midnight.
I was working in the lab late one night / When my eyes beheld an eerie sight / For my monster, from his slab, began to rise / And suddenly, to my surprise / He did the Mash / He did the Monster Mash.
1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:Dan was beginning to feel very depressed when suddenly the eerie howl of a dingo rang out[.]
1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 13, column 2:The whole city is immersed in a dystopian-looking smog: urban streets in sepia, emptier than usual, bathed in an eerie quiet.
2023 June 7, Samira Asma-Sadeque, “‘It’s too much’: New Yorkers don masks or stay inside amid smog crisis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:Since the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putinism[…] has arrived at what might seem an eerie equilibrium, but on a closer reading is a trap for all involved.
2026 June 2, Michael Kimmage, “Putin Has No Good Way Out of His War”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:An eerie feeling came over me.
1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 200:
-
(Scotland) Frightened, timid.
She began to feel eerie.
1883, George MacDonald, Donal Grant:'It is my business to read the hearts o' men,' said the other. 'And who may ye be?' said Heriotside, growing eerie.
1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eery | alternative | lexicographic | |
| eeriest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| eerier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
eerily · eerisome · eerieness · eeriness
Hypernyms
strange · uncanny · weird · characteristic · odd · peculiar
Relateds
Synonyms
heteroclite · eldritch · incongruitous · uncommon · alien · errant · bizarre · abnormal · creepy · queer as a coot · exceptional · outré · hinky · freaky · outlandish · unreasonable · spooky · uncanny · seld · queer as a three dollar bill · unsettling · queer as Dick's hatband · chilling · queer as a nine bob note · freakish · grim · weird · incongruous · monstrous · discrepant · weirdsome · sinister · freak · unusual · curious · spooky · eldritch · selcouth · aberrant · anomalous · singular · quaint · scary · eerie · unearthly · peculiar · fremd · rare · frightening · queer · extraordinary · kooky · rummy · freakish · odd · creepy · yampy · nonstandard · queer as a clockwork orange · funny · strange · unexpected · rum · offputting · irregular · trippy · as queer as Dick's hatband · fey · forby · booky · unconventional · uncouth · out of the ordinary · unwonted · deviant
Translations (102)
ru стра́нный (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · nl vreemd (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · nl angstaanjagend (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · it misterioso (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · es sobrecogedor (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sh čudan (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cmn 森森 (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · no nifs (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ja 不気味な (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · hu furcsa (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ru жу́ткий (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · pt esquisito (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fi aavemainen (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · az ürpərdici (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · es estremecedor (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fr étrange (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sv mystisk (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · nl griezelig (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl arrevasado (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl estarrecedor (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · cs bázlivý (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · cs tajemný (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs vystrašený (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · sv skum (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fr craintif (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ro straniu (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · pt assustador (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ro înfricoșat (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ru жу́ткий (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · pt estranho (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · bg свръхестествен (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · hu kísérteties (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ro timid (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · mi whakahaehae (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sk čudný (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · it agghiacciante (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ca espantós (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · fi outo (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ca misteriós (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · tr ürkütücü (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ru злове́щий (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · hu különös (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sk zvláštny (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ru пуга́ющий (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · es escalofriante (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl estrano (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ro superstițios (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · bg внушаващ суеверен страх (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · mk мра́чен (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fr sinistre (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ga aerachtúil (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · hu baljós (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · de unheimlich (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs postrašený (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · no skummel (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · es espeluznante (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fr peureux (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · fi pelottava (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ja 恐ろしい (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ru злове́щий (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · es espantoso (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · cs podivný (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · bg странен (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · hi भुतहा (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl abraiento (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · hu titokzatos (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ro misterios (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · mk чу́ден (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · ro ciudat (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs nesmělý (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · gl rabeco (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · mk мо́рничав (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sv kuslig (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs strašidelný (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sv kuslig (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ja 物凄い (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · it spaventevole (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · no engstelig (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ga uaibhreach (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · hu sejtelmes (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs tajuplný (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl broco (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ru сверхъесте́ственный (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · mk зло́кобен (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · tr esrarengiz (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · id bogot (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sv konstig (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sk podozrivý (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs nahánějící hrůzu (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · fr timide (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · cmn 怪異 /怪异 (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cs děsivý (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · es inquietante (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · cmn 詭異 /诡异 (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · it strano (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · sh stran (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · nl vreesachtig (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · ru мра́чный (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · de unheimlich (frightened, timid — see also frightened, timid) · hu hátborzongató (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · nl angstaanjagend (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way) · gl arcano (inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way)