paranormal
/ˌpærəˈnɔːml/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌpærəˈnɔːrml/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌper-ə-ˈnȯr-məl ˌpa-rə-; ˈper-ə-ˌnȯr-, ˈpa-rə-/ (ame, mw) · /ˌpær.əˈnɔː.məl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌper.əˈnɔːr.məl/ (ame, ipa)
paranormal — adjective
- paranormalpositive
- more paranormalcomparative
- most paranormalsuperlative
1. describing an event, force, or experience that seems to happen outside what scie
describing an event, force, or experience that seems to happen outside what science can account for, such as a voice in an empty room or objects moving with no clear cause.
Kenji filmed a paranormal event when a chair slid across the kitchen alone.
collocation: paranormal event / paranormal activity
The podcast studies paranormal stories from people who say they saw ghosts.
After the lights flickered twice, Ada called the noise paranormal.
Visitors left early after hearing paranormal voices in the museum basement.
- supernatural
broader and often stronger; can include miracles, spirits, and divine powers
- uncanny
focuses on an eerie feeling, not necessarily a force beyond science
- unexplained
more neutral; does not suggest ghosts or psychic powers
- natural
able to be explained by ordinary physical causes
- scientific
based on evidence and known laws rather than strange forces
文法句型
paranormal + noun (activity / event / experience / phenomenon)
be + paranormal
用法筆記
Usually describes reported activity, signs, or experiences rather than ordinary mysteries. Distinguish from the noun sense, which names the whole field of such unexplained phenomena.
常見錯誤
paranormal — noun
1. the group of strange events, powers, and stories that people treat as lying beyo
the group of strange events, powers, and stories that people treat as lying beyond normal scientific explanation, especially ghosts, hauntings, and similar reports.
Eshe has studied the paranormal since childhood and keeps books about hauntings.
the paranormal — fixed phrase with the
The radio show mixes local history with debates about the paranormal.
Felipe laughed at the paranormal until he heard footsteps in the empty attic.
Anya wrote her thesis on why people are drawn to the paranormal.
- the supernatural
broader and more dramatic; includes divine or magical forces as well
- unexplained phenomena
more neutral and descriptive, often used in science or journalism
- the occult
focuses more on hidden practices and beliefs than on reported events
- the natural world
the part of reality explained by ordinary physical laws
- ordinary life
emphasises normal experience without ghostly or psychic claims
文法句型
the paranormal
belief in the paranormal
interest in the paranormal
用法筆記
Nearly always used as the paranormal, referring to a broad subject area rather than one single event. Do not use it as a plural count noun for separate ghost stories or creatures.