eerie

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈɪəɹi/ (General American, mirror–nearer merger) IPA(key): /ˈɪɹi/ (US, without the mirror–nearer merger) IPA(key): /ˈɪɚi/, /ˈiɹi/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈiɹɪ/, /ˈiɹe/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈiəɹi/ (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈɛːɹi/ Rhymes: -ɪəɹi Homophone: airy (cheer–chair merger) === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Adjective ==== eerie (comparative eerier, superlative eeriest) Inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way; strange, weird. Synonyms: creepy, spooky; see also Thesaurus:strange (Scotland) Frightened, timid. ===== Alternative forms ===== eery ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== eerie (plural eeries) An eerie creature or thing. === Etymology 2 === See eyrie. ==== Noun ==== eerie (plural eeries) Alternative spelling of eyrie.