Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Strange, eerie, or unnatural in a way that suggests supernatural influence: "eldritch" describes something that is weird, uncanny, or otherworldly, often creating a feeling of fear or unease.
   • Having a ghostly, unearthly, or frightening quality: It is used to characterize things that seem to belong to a different, often sinister, realm beyond normal human experience.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The old castle had an eldritch atmosphere that made visitors feel uneasy.
  • From the depths of the cave came an eldritch glow that defied all natural explanation.
  • Her story was filled with eldritch creatures from ancient folklore.

Advanced Usage

• "eldritch horror": A subgenre of horror fiction that emphasizes cosmic, unknowable, and supernatural terror, often associated with the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

  • He is a master of writing eldritch horror that preys on primal fears.

• "eldritch abomination": A term used to describe a monstrous entity that is utterly alien and violates natural laws.

  • The cult sought to summon an eldritch abomination from the stars.

Variants and Related Words

• Uncanny (adj): Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
  • She had an uncanny resemblance to the portrait.
• Eerie (adj): Strange and frightening.
  • The fog created an eerie silence in the forest.
• Weird (adj): Suggesting something supernatural; unearthly.
  • A weird noise echoed through the empty house.
• Unearthly (adj): Not of this earth; unnatural or mysterious.
  • The singer possessed an unearthly voice.

Synonyms

• Supernatural: Attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
• Preternatural: Beyond what is normal or natural.
• Spooky: Informally frightening in a supernatural way.

Related Phrases

• "eldritch power": A phrase describing magical or supernatural force of an eerie, otherworldly nature.

  • The artifact was said to contain immense eldritch power.

• "eldritch chant": A ritualistic incantation that sounds unnatural and unsettling.

  • The monks began an eldritch chant as the ritual commenced.

Adjective

1. suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
   • an eldritch screech
   • the three weird sisters
   • stumps...had uncanny shapes as of monstrous creatures- John Galsworthy
   • an unearthly light
   • he could hear the unearthly scream of some curlew piercing the din- Henry Kingsley