WORD OF THE DAY
If something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural. If you hear strange music echoing through your attic, you might refer to it as positively uncanny.
You can also use uncanny to refer to something that is so remarkable that it is beyond what is natural, as in "She has an uncanny ability to find her way around new places." This adjective was formed in English from the prefix un-, "not," and canny, "fortunate, safe." The current meaning of English canny is "careful and clever, especially in handling money."
Want to expand your vocabulary?
Get Word of the Day delivered straight to your inbox!
Vocabulary lists containing uncanny
American Heritage Dictionaries normally feature about 70,000 entries. From that multitude, the editors have chosen 100 words that are neither obscure nor outlandish that could give middle schoolers more aplomb and aptitude in their verbal encounters. If you're not sure whether that is something you need, study this list. Words selected by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Whether you're hoping to improve your comprehension of reading assignments or simply looking to increase your word knowledge, our lists of essential, high-frequency words will put you on the path to vocabulary success. Here are links to our lists for the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8, List 9, List 10
After a shipwreck, Rainsford thinks he's safe when he washes ashore a mysterious island — but once he meets the eccentric General Zaroff, he realizes his problems have just begun. Read the full text here.
In this epic poem, clever Odysseus attempts to find his way home after the end of the Trojan War. Learn these words from the translation by Robert Fagles.
