What does uncanniest mean?
Uncanniest is the superlative form of the adjective uncanny, meaning the most eerie, strange, unsettling, or unnervingly precise. It is commonly used for places, sights, sounds, events, and perceptions that seem to have an otherworldly or supernatural quality. For example, a writer might describe an abandoned building as the uncanniest place they had ever encountered, while another might use the word to emphasize a person’s almost inexplicable ability to anticipate another person’s actions. The word can also suggest that an object or result is so exact that it seems unnatural. Because it compares more than one candidate, uncanniest normally appears after the definite article or another determiner, as in the uncanniest sound. Although its emotional force is often mysterious or frightening, uncanniest is not limited to horror and can describe wonder, curiosity, admiration, or surprise. It is most useful when the speaker wants to single out a particularly striking example of something already strange or perceptive.
adjectiveThe most uncanny, especially the most strange, eerie, unsettling, or unnervingly accurate.
- The most strange, eerie, or unsettling.
"The abandoned house at the end of the lane was the uncanniest place I had ever visited."
"Her uncanny sense of timing made her the uncanniest player on the team."
"The machine reproduced his voice with the uncanniest precision."
Uncanniest is the ultimate eerie superlative: not merely uncanny, but the most uncanny of all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of uncanniest
Uncanniest was formed by adding the English superlative suffix “-est” to uncanny. Uncanny arose in the early 17th century from the prefix “un-” and canny, a Scots adjective meaning knowledgeable or perceptive, whose root is related to know and knowledge. Over time, uncanny acquired its modern senses of seeming mysterious, eerie, or supernatural.
How uncanniest is actually used
Uncanniest is the superlative of uncanny and is normally used when comparing two or more people, things, or experiences. It is most often associated with something eerie or unsettling, but it can also emphasize an apparently supernatural accuracy or precision.
Easily confused with uncanniest
Uncanny is the base adjective, while uncanniest is its superlative form, meaning the most uncanny.
Canny means shrewd or perceptive, whereas uncanniest is the superlative of uncanny and means the most eerie or unsettling.