The uncanny is the psychological experience of an event or thing that is unsettling in a way that feels oddly familiar, rather than simply mysterious. [1] This phenomenon is used to describe …

Uncanny describes that which unsettles us, such as disquieting observations, or mysterious situations and circumstances. Strip the word of its prefix, though, and you're left with canny, a …

Dec 21, 2025 · Uncanny valley, theorized relation between the human likeness of an object and a viewer’s affinity toward it. The hypothesis originated in a 1970 essay by Japanese roboticist …

UNCANNY definition: having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary. See examples of uncanny used in a sentence.

UNCANNY meaning: 1. strange or mysterious, often in a way that is slightly frightening: 2. strange or mysterious…. Learn more.

If you describe something as uncanny, you mean that it is strange and difficult to explain. She bears an uncanny resemblance to the new president.

1. having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; extraordinary: uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of spotting an opportunity. 2. mysterious; arousing fear or dread: …

Dec 14, 2025 · [The uncanny is] something that was long familiar to the psyche and was estranged from it only through being repressed. The link with repression now illuminates …

Definition of uncanny adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural. If you hear strange music echoing through your attic, you might refer to it as positively uncanny.