eerie
/ˈɪəɹi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.33 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way; strange, weird.
adj
noun
Alternative spelling of eyrie.
Example Sentences
- "The eerie sounds seemed to come from the graveyard after midnight."
- "An eerie feeling came over me."
- "Dan was beginning to feel very depressed when suddenly the eerie howl of a dingo rang out[.]"
- "I was working in the lab late one night / When my eyes beheld an eerie sight / For my monster, from his slab, began to rise / And suddenly, to my surprise / He did the Mash / He did the Monster Mash."
- "The whole city is immersed in a dystopian-looking smog: urban streets in sepia, emptier than usual, bathed in an eerie quiet."
- "Since the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putinism[…] has arrived at what might seem an eerie equilibrium, but on a closer reading is a trap for all involved."
Etymology
From Middle English eri (“fearful”), from Old English earg (“cowardly, fearful”), from Proto-West Germanic *arg, from Proto-Germanic *argaz. Akin to Scots ergh, argh from the same Old English source. Doublet of argh.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɪəɹi/
- British English: /ˈɪəɹi/