uncanniness
Definition
- Noun:
- The quality of being strange or mysterious, especially in a way that is unsettling or eerie: "uncanniness" refers to a sense of something being so unfamiliar or beyond ordinary experience that it provokes discomfort, fear, or wonder. It often describes situations, objects, or events that feel almost supernatural or inexplicably odd.
Usage Examples
- (The strange and unsettling quality of the house caused a physical reaction of fear.)
- (The mysterious and disturbing effect of the image felt almost supernatural.)
- (The odd and eerie nature of the coincidence felt beyond normal chance.)
Advanced Usage
- "the uncanniness of the familiar": a concept in psychology (often associated with Freud's "the uncanny") where something ordinary becomes strange and unsettling.
- The uncanniness of the familiar is explored in horror stories where everyday objects take on a sinister quality. (The unsettling strangeness that arises from ordinary things feeling wrong.)
Variants and Related Words
- Uncanny (adj): strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
- He had an uncanny ability to predict the future. (A strange and almost supernatural skill.)
- Uncannily (adv): in a manner that is strange or mysterious.
- She looked uncannily like her grandmother in that old portrait. (In a strikingly and eerily similar way.)
Synonyms
- Eeriness: a quality of being strange and frightening.
- Weirdness: the state of being odd or bizarre.
- Mysteriousness: the quality of being difficult to explain or understand.
Related Idioms
- "The uncanny valley": a term used in robotics and animation describing the unsettling feeling when something looks almost human but not quite.
- The lifelike robot doll fell into the uncanny valley, making viewers feel uneasy. (The doll's near-human appearance triggered a sense of uncanniness.)
Phrasal Verbs