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eerie

 - 3 dictionary results

ee⋅rie

  [eer-ee]
Use eerie in a Sentence
–adjective, -ri⋅er, -ri⋅est.
1. uncanny, so as to inspire superstitious fear; weird: an eerie midnight howl.
2. Chiefly Scot. affected with superstitious fear.
Also, eery.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME eri, dial. var. of argh, OE earg cowardly; c. OFris erg, ON argr evil, G arg cowardly

Related forms:
ee⋅ri⋅ly, adverb
ee⋅ri⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See weird.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To eerie
ee·rie or ee·ry   (îr'ē)   
adj.   ee·ri·er, ee·ri·est

    1. Inspiring inexplicable fear, dread, or uneasiness; strange and frightening.

    2. Suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious. See Synonyms at weird.

  2. Scots Frightened or intimidated by superstition.


[Middle English eri, fearful, from Old English earg, cowardly.]
ee'ri·ly adv., ee'ri·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

eerie 
c.1300, north England and Scot. variant of O.E. earg "cowardly, fearful," from P.Gmc. *argaz (cf. O.N. argr "unmanly, voluptuous," Swed. arg "malicious," Ger. arg "bad, wicked"). Sense of "causing fear because of strangeness" is first attested 1792.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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