unearthly

adjective

un·​earth·​ly ˌən-ˈərth-lē How to pronounce unearthly (audio)
: not earthly: such as
a
: not mundane : ideal
unearthly love
b
: not terrestrial
unearthly radio sources
c
: preternatural, supernatural
an unearthly light
d
: weird, eerie
unearthly howls
e
: absurd, ungodly
gets up at an unearthly hour
unearthliness noun

Examples of unearthly in a Sentence

We left at the unearthly time of 5:00 a.m. an unearthly knack for picking winning lottery numbers
Recent Examples on the Web Together, Lynch and Frost make for an ideal creative match, blending quirky small-town drama with unearthly horror. Devan Coggan and Christian Holub, EW.com, 25 June 2023 Downtown San Jose’s going to be a regular zoo this weekend, with foxes, racoons, lions, dogs, cats and even a few unearthly animals roaming around the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024 In Night Country, there are frequent jump scares and a pervasive sense of unearthly dread, but there’s as much talk of mental health and the deleterious effects of this shadowy environment as well as the poisoning associated with the mines. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Jan. 2024 The final result is almost photographic, but radiant and unearthly. Sakeina Syed, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2023 If any of these projects come to fruition, astronomers might solve these abiding mysteries — or uncover an even more puzzling trove of unearthly delights. Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2023 Yet, within 20 minutes, a fog bank from Puget Sound feathered up the valley, devouring the views as the sun imbued the mist with unearthly yellows and blues. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023 The membrane between this world and the other is permeable; unearthly beings ooze through. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 June 2023 Pondering how extraterrestrial organisms might function in an unearthly environment is vital to the search for life on other planets. Kate S. Petersen, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unearthly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unearthly was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near unearthly

Cite this Entry

“Unearthly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unearthly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unearthly

adjective
un·​earth·​ly ˌən-ˈərth-lē How to pronounce unearthly (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not of or belonging to the earth
unearthly terrain
2
: supernatural sense 2, weird, terrifying
an unearthly scream
unearthliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unearthly

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