Uncanniest Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

Literature

• In literature, the term often describes feelings of eeriness in stories, like in Edgar Allan Poe’s tales that evoke discomfort.
• Famous writers like H.P. Lovecraft used the idea of the uncanny to create unsettling atmospheres in horror fiction.
• Sigmund Freud discussed the uncanny as a psychological concept, highlighting how familiar things can feel unsettling when they are slightly wrong.

Psychology

• The concept of the uncanny is often linked to fear of the unknown, where something familiar feels ominously different.
• Research shows that uncanny experiences can trigger powerful emotional responses, linking to anxiety and discomfort.
• The uncanny valley theory suggests that humanoid robots that look too lifelike can evoke feelings of eeriness in people.

Pop Culture

• Films like 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Get Out' cleverly play with the idea of the uncanny to build suspense and unease.
• Video games such as 'Silent Hill' embody uncanny elements through disturbing environments that feel oddly familiar yet wrong.
• The term has permeated meme culture, often used humorously to describe unexpected yet relatable situations.

Art

• Surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí often depicted uncanny imagery, creating dreamlike scenes that blur reality and the bizarre.
• Contemporary art uses the uncanny to provoke thought, challenging viewers' perceptions of normality.
• Installations that create an uncanny atmosphere can make viewers feel disoriented, exploring themes of alienation.

Main points about word origin

• The word comes from the Old English 'cænne', meaning to know, originally implying being familiar with something.
• The prefix 'un-' means 'not', which transforms familiar into unfamiliar or eerie.
• The modern usage grew in the 18th century, often associated with the works of writers exploring the supernatural.

The word 'uncanny' originates from the early 17th century and combines the prefix 'un-' which denotes negation and the word 'canny', derived from the Scottish word 'canny', meaning knowledgeable or wise. The amalgamation forms 'uncanny', referring to something that is beyond the understood or familiar. The suffix '-est' denotes the superlative, which is used to indicate the highest degree of the quality described. Over time, 'uncanny' has come to be associated predominantly with feelings of eeriness, espousing the philosophical ideas of the uncanny put forth by Sigmund Freud, which emphasized the perplexing nature of the familiar becoming unfamiliar. Hence, when we use the term 'uncanniest', we are acknowledging the most potent presence of this unsettling quality.

With rank #43,308, this word is among the least frequently used in common English. Understanding it can be beneficial for comprehensive language mastery, but it's not essential for most learners.

• ...
• 43305 scrappier
• 43306 glamourize
• 43307 doughtier
• 43308 uncanniest
• 43309 comfiest
• 43310 capeskin
• 43311 tenably
• ...