German word

unheimlich

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʊnhaɪ̯mlɪç/

Meaning

  • adverbreally

Example

Das Buch war unheimlich spannend.

The book was really exciting.

Illustration for unheimlich (really)

More examples

Auf der Party wirkte er unheimlich nervös.

At the party, he seemed really nervous.

Core concept

A familiar room suddenly feels wrong, and the same force can push an ordinary quality far beyond its usual level.

Common phrases

  • unheimlich interessant

    really interesting

  • unheimlich viel

    an awful lot

  • unheimlich nervös

    really nervous

Similar words

sehr: Shows that a quality or action has a fairly high degree.
unglaublich: Shows a degree so great that it seems impossible to believe.
extrem: Shows that a quality or condition reaches an exceptionally high level.

Definition in German

In der Alltagssprache dient es als Intensivierer im Sinne von „sehr“; außerdem bezeichnet es etwas Unheimliches bzw. Beunruhigendes.

Word origin

Unheimlich combines German un- "not" with heimlich "familiar, homelike"; the original sense was unsettling or uncanny, and everyday speech later extended it to strong emphasis.

Usage tips

  • As an adverb, unheimlich stays unchanged before adjectives, as in unheimlich spannend; the adjective uses regular endings when it means uncanny.

Other meanings

  • uncannyadjective

Related words

  • Unheimlichkeituncanninessnoun
  • unheimlicherweiseuncannilyadverb

Word lists with this word