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Showing results for eerie. Search instead for eerier.
Definitions

eerie

[eer-ee] / ˈɪər i /
ADJECTIVE
spooky
Synonyms
STRONGEST
bizarre creepy eldritch fantastic frightening ghostly mysterious scary strange supernatural uncanny weird
STRONG
awesome
WEAK
spectral unearthly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
common earthly familiar natural normal regular usual
WEAK
ordinary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for eerie?
Probably the closest synonym for eerie is spooky. These words are usually used to describe an atmosphere or place that’s scary in a subtle way—not due to obvious danger but rather to a perceived uncanny quality that’s perhaps supernatural and sinister (evil). A classic example of a place described as eerie is a haunted house. Similar words include creepy, chilling, foreboding, menacing, and ominous. These all suggest a frightening quality, but, unlike eerie and spooky, don’t imply that there is anything otherworldly about it. You can describe an eerie place as giving you the creeps, creeping you out, or inspiring a sense of dread.  Sometimes the best way to indicate that a place is eerie is to show instead of tell: when describing it, instead of using the word eerie, describe the things that actually make it eerie, like the strange sounds coming from the attic and the painting of a girl whose eyes seem to follow you around the room.
What is another word for eerie silence?
An eerie silence is a silence that seems too quiet—one that suggests something bad is going to happen. An eerie silence isn’t necessarily entirely silent—the breeze might be blowing in the background, for example—but it is lacking some of the sounds you might expect to hear normally. A forest without any birds singing (at a time when they normally would be) might be described as eerily silent. Words to describe an eerie silence include strange and unnatural.
What is the opposite (antonym) of eerie?
Eerie describes things that are subtly frightening due to seeming strange or unnatural. The opposite of an eerie atmosphere is one that’s familiar or ordinary in a way that’s comforting, welcoming, calming, or reassuring.
Is it eerie or eery?
It can be spelled either way, but eerie is much more common.
How do you use eerie in a sentence?
Eerie is used to suggest unnaturalness and creepiness. Here are some examples of eerie in a sentence:
  • The house was so eerie once we’d moved all our stuff out—like it was a different place altogether. 
  • At dawn, there was an eerie silence over the lake, and the strange mist made it even eerier. 
  • Walking among the mannequins in the abandoned department was too eerie for me.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The room was long and narrow, with an absurdly low ceiling, and he was met with the eerie impression that he’d just stepped into a casket.

From Literature

"It had a cold, dark, eerie feeling in there," Davies said.

From BBC

The chairs, the mahogany bookcase, the old upright piano, all pulsed with an eerie light.

From Literature

Legos were used to send a warning to Ukrainians as the country was launching a new recruitment drive—to eerie effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

The palm wood snaking through the center of Mohammad Al Faraj’s eerie installation seems like the skeletal vertebrae of some giant creature.

From The Wall Street Journal

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.