# uncanny

/ənˈkæni/ (US) · /ʌnkˈæni/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/uncanny
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 3. the feeling of the strange

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

the strange feeling you get when something familiar looks slightly wrong or scary.

For teachers: the psychological experience of something being simultaneously familiar and alien, resulting in a sense of cognitive dissonance or discomfort.

- The movie uses the uncanny to make the audience feel uneasy.
- Freud's essay on the uncanny explores how the return of repressed childhood fears can make everyday objects seem threateningly strange.

## Examples

- She has an uncanny ability to predict the future.
- The old portrait bore an uncanny resemblance to the young man standing in front of it.
- The robot's movements were so fluid and its skin so lifelike that it crossed into the uncanny valley, making the observers feel deeply uncomfortable.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.