unearthly

IPA/ʌnˈɜːθli/
KK[ənˈɚθli]IPA/ʌnˈɜːrθli/

unearthly — adjective

  • unearthlypositive
  • more unearthlycomparative
  • most unearthlysuperlative

1. describes a time of day that is unreasonably early or late, causing inconvenienc

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a time of day that is unreasonably early or late, causing inconvenience — for example, a meeting booked for five a.m. or a phone call that comes after midnight.

Example

Min had to catch a flight at the unearthly hour of four in the morning.

collocation: unearthly hour

The landlord called Aylin at an unearthly hour to complain about the noise.

Common collocations
  • unearthly hour
  • unearthly time
  • at an unearthly hour
Synonyms
  • ungodly

    more informal and slightly stronger annoyance — 'an ungodly hour of the morning'

  • ridiculous

    broader in meaning; can apply to any unreasonable thing, not just time

Antonyms

Usage Note

Almost always used with 'hour' or 'time' in the pattern 'at an unearthly hour/time'. Often appears in complaints about early-morning travel, late-night calls, or unreasonable scheduling.

Common Mistakes

The meeting was at an unearthly time in the afternoon.
The meeting was at an unearthly hour in the morning.
'unearthly hour' typically describes very early morning (before 6 a.m.) or late night (after 11 p.m.), not an ordinary afternoon.
She has an unearthly beauty.' (when meaning she looks strange/eerie)
She has an unearthly beauty.' (only correct if meaning transcendent beauty)
Sense 1 is about time only; using it for appearance is a different sense.

2. having a quality that feels odd, mysterious, or supernatural, often making you u

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a quality that feels odd, mysterious, or supernatural, often making you uneasy — like an eerie glow in an empty room or a sound that seems to come from nowhere.

Example

An unearthly glow filled the hallway, though no one could find the source.

collocation: unearthly glow

Gabriel heard an unearthly howl coming from the forest behind the cabin.

Common collocations
  • unearthly glow
  • unearthly light
  • unearthly howl
  • unearthly silence
  • unearthly scream
  • unearthly quality
Synonyms
  • eerie

    focuses more on the frightening aspect — 'an eerie silence'

  • uncanny

    suggests something strange because it is beyond what is normal — 'an uncanny resemblance'

  • supernatural

    more direct about a non-human or magical cause — 'supernatural powers'

  • otherworldly

    suggests something from another world or dimension — 'an otherworldly landscape'

Antonyms
  • normal

    ordinary and expected

  • natural

    belonging to the observable world

Usage Note

Common with nouns of light, sound, and atmosphere (glow, light, howl, silence, stillness). Not used for ordinary strangeness — implies an almost supernatural quality.

Common Mistakes

The joke was so bad, an unearthly silence followed.
The joke was so bad, an awkward silence followed.
'unearthly silence' suggests a mysterious or supernatural quiet, not just social awkwardness.

3. so beautiful, pure, or inspiring that it seems to belong to a world beyond ordin

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

so beautiful, pure, or inspiring that it seems to belong to a world beyond ordinary human experience — like a voice that feels heavenly or a landscape that makes you forget the everyday world.

Example

The soprano's voice had an unearthly beauty that moved the entire audience to tears.

collocation: unearthly beauty

Devika spoke of the unearthly peace she felt during her meditation in the mountains.

Common collocations
  • unearthly beauty
  • unearthly peace
  • unearthly light
  • unearthly stillness
  • unearthly grace
Synonyms
  • transcendent

    more formal, emphasizing going beyond ordinary limits — 'transcendent beauty'

  • ethereal

    suggests extreme delicacy and lightness, as if not of this world — 'ethereal music'

  • sublime

    of such excellence that it inspires awe — 'sublime scenery'

Antonyms

Usage Note

Typically modifies abstract nouns such as 'beauty', 'peace', 'light', 'stillness', 'grace'. Unlike Sense 2, there is no frightening or uneasy feeling — the tone is reverent or awe-inspired. More common in literary and formal writing than in conversation.

Common Mistakes

The haunted house had an unearthly atmosphere.' (when meaning scary)
The haunted house had an eerie atmosphere.
If you mean frightening, use Sense 2; Sense 3 is reserved for sublime, spiritual, or transcendent beauty.
Idioms

at an unearthly hour

idiom

This phrase describes a time that is extremely early, often causing inconvenience or annoyance.

Mia had to wake up at an unearthly hour for her flight.

Why did the meeting start at an unearthly hour on Saturday?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four words describe things that feel strange or beyond normal experience, but they differ in what causes the strangeness. 'Eerie' is the closest to 'unearthly' in everyday use — it describes a creepy, unsettling feeling, often in a quiet or abandoned place ('an eerie silence'). 'Uncanny' refers to something that is strangely familiar, like a robot that looks almost human but not quite ('an uncanny resemblance'). 'Supernatural' goes further by implying a cause outside the laws of nature, such as ghosts or magic ('supernatural powers'). 'Otherworldly' suggests that something belongs to a different realm or dimension, not necessarily frightening but clearly not of this world ('an otherworldly landscape'). Choosing among them depends on whether you want to emphasize fear (eerie), the unsettling near-familiar (uncanny), magical causation (supernatural), or a sense of alien origin (otherworldly). For example: 'The unearthly glow turned out to be a flashlight — not supernatural, just eerie in the dark.'

eerie ↗uncanny ↗supernatural ↗otherworldly ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English around 1600 from the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') and 'earthly' (from Old English 'eorþe', meaning 'ground, soil, world'). The earliest uses described things 'not of this world' — spiritual or celestial. By the early 1700s, the meaning expanded to cover anything strange or supernatural ('an unearthly cry'). The time-related sense ('an unearthly hour') developed in the 1800s, probably from the idea that getting up at 4 a.m. is 'not of this world' in its unreasonableness.