uncanny

/ʌnˈkæni/ (bre, ipa) · [ənkˈæni] /ʌnˈkæni/ (ame, ipa) · [ənkˈæni] /ˌən-ˈka-nē How to pronounce uncanny (audio)/ (ame, mw)

uncanny — adjective

  • uncannypositive
  • more uncannycomparative
  • most uncannysuperlative

1. odd and hard to account for, giving a small chill or uneasy feeling.

1.形容詞C1
釋義

odd and hard to account for, giving a small chill or uneasy feeling.

例句

The empty school hall had an uncanny silence after the storm.

collocation: uncanny silence

At dusk, Aoi heard an uncanny laugh behind the locked garden gate.

同義詞
  • eerie

    closer to a spooky or haunted feeling, especially in places and sounds

  • creepy

    more informal and often stronger about fear or disgust

  • mysterious

    broader and not always frightening

反義詞
  • ordinary

    completely normal, with nothing strange about it

  • familiar

    feels known and comfortable rather than unsettling

  • reassuring

    makes people feel safe instead of uneasy

文法句型

an uncanny + noun

feel/seem + uncanny

用法筆記

Often used for places, sounds, expressions, or feelings that seem wrong in a way you cannot easily explain. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense creates unease, while sense 2 focuses on surprising accuracy or instinct.

常見錯誤

❌The hall felt uncannyly quiet.
✅The hall felt uncannily quiet.
💡use the adverb 'uncannily' before another adjective.

2. showing accuracy, timing, or instinct so remarkable that it feels almost more th

2.形容詞C1
釋義

showing accuracy, timing, or instinct so remarkable that it feels almost more than human.

例句

Inês can recall bus times and platform numbers with uncanny accuracy.

collocation: uncanny accuracy

Kian made an uncanny guess about the quiz topic before class started.

同義詞
  • extraordinary

    broader and less tied to surprising exactness

  • remarkable

    more neutral and less suggestive of something almost impossible

  • astonishing

    stresses the listener's surprise more than the precise result itself

反義詞
  • ordinary

    within the normal range, without any surprising exactness

  • average

    competent but not unusually sharp or precise

  • hit-or-miss

    inconsistent rather than strangely exact

文法句型

uncanny + accuracy/timing/instinct

have an uncanny + noun

用法筆記

Usually appears before nouns like 'accuracy', 'timing', 'memory', or 'sense'. Unlike sense 1, this use is often admiring and points to a result that seems far better than normal.

常見錯誤

❌She has uncanny to guess the answer.
✅She has an uncanny ability to guess the answer.
💡uncanny usually modifies a noun such as ability, timing, or accuracy.