geheuer

German

Etymology

From Middle High German gehiure (“pleasant, gentle”), from Old High German hiuri (“friendly, lovely”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈhɔʏ̯ɐ/
• Hyphenation: ge‧heu‧er

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

geheuer (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, except when negated) pleasant, comfortable

   bei dem Gedanken an die bevorstehende Prüfung war ihm nicht recht geheuer ― he was not at all comfortable thinking about the coming exam

2. sure

   mir war nicht ganz geheuer ― I was not at all sure

Usage notes

In modern usage, this word is always negated. The expression nicht (ganz) geheuer means ‘creepy, fishy, scary, causing uneasiness’, etc.

Derived terms

• ungeheuer
• Ungeheuer