uncannily

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈkænəli/ UK /ʌnˈkænɪli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adv
in a strange or eerie way that is hard to explain

The portrait was uncannily lifelike, its eyes seeming to follow you.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a strange or eerie way... eerily strangely weirdly mysteriously preternaturally remarkably

Opposites

ordinarily normally naturally

Word family

Related forms uncanny cannyuncanniness

Etymology

From uncanny + -ly. Uncanny is from un- ('not') + canny ('knowing, careful'), from can ('to know, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'), from Proto-Indo-European *gno- ('to know').

un- Old English cunnan Old English *gno- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# uncannily

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈkænəli/
**IPA (UK):** /ʌnˈkænɪli/

## Meanings
1. in a strange or eerie way that is hard to explain

## Examples
- The portrait was uncannily lifelike, its eyes seeming to follow you.

## Synonyms
- eerily
- strangely
- weirdly
- mysteriously
- preternaturally
- remarkably

## Antonyms
- ordinarily
- normally
- naturally

## Related Forms
- uncanny
- canny
- uncanniness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: cunnan
- Root: *gno-

## Etymology
From uncanny + -ly. Uncanny is from un- ('not') + canny ('knowing, careful'), from can ('to know, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'), from Proto-Indo-European *gno- ('to know').

## AI Etymology
Uncannily is from uncanny + -ly. Uncanny is from un- ('not') + canny ('knowing, careful'), from can ('to know, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'), from Proto-Indo-European *gno- ('to know'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), cunnan (Old English), and *gno- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers in a strange or eerie way that is hard to explain. The wider family includes related words such as uncanny, canny, and uncanniness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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