preternatural
Preternatural describes something that seems oddly abnormal and out of sync with everything else. If you hear a preternatural dog's barking, maybe it sounds like a police siren instead of a howl.
Note that preternatural contains the word natural. Preter comes from the Latin word praeter which means "beyond"; so something preternatural is beyond nature. It is less commonly used than unnatural or supernatural but means the same thing. If you lift a truck off the ground and hold it above your head, people will marvel at you and say you have preternatural strength.
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existing outside of or not in accordance with naturesynonyms: nonnatural, otherworldly, transcendentalsupernaturalnot existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws; not physical or material
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surpassing the ordinary or normal“"Beyond his preternatural affability there is some acid and some steel" - George Will”synonyms: uncannyextraordinarybeyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
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Vocabulary lists containing preternatural
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