1
Core quality
Strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
Example
The replica bears an uncanny resemblance to the original.
uncanny
/ʌnˈkæni/ · un-KAN-eeadjective
Strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
Use uncanny to express this relationship precisely: strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
What uncanny Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Her uncanny ability to predict demand impressed the analysts.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The recording produced an uncanny sense that the absent speaker was present.
Use uncanny Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The replica bears an uncanny resemblance to the original.
Her uncanny ability to predict demand impressed the analysts.
The recording produced an uncanny sense that the absent speaker was present.
Precision Matters
Uncanny overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
uncanny
vs.Means strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
ominous
Means threatening or suggesting that something bad is likely to happen.
uncanny
vs.Means strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
eccentric
Means highly unconventional or noticeably unusual.
uncanny
vs.Means strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
anomaly
Means something outside what is normal, expected, or consistent with a pattern.
uncanny
vs.Means strangely remarkable, mysterious, or seemingly beyond ordinary explanation.
imperceptible
Means impossible or extremely difficult to perceive.
Test uncanny in Context
Its extraordinary precision seems strange and almost beyond ordinary explanation.
1
The model showed an ___ accuracy, correctly predicting even several rare events.