ghostly

adjective

Definition of ghostlynext
as in spectral
of or relating to a ghost A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ghostly The street, still full of equipment and plastic water bottles, felt quiet and ghostly. — Sarah Shanfield, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 The experience of pilgrimage became a ritual, and there’s a ghostly quality to these pictures. — Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The piece follows the fall of the notorious libertine, a reckless womanizer, ignoring many supernatural warnings until a ghostly stone attempts to have its way with his soul. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026 When Lydia’s sister, Claudine, becomes Odette’s new stepmother, a ghostly presence emerges in the house — spurring a story about grief and motherhood. — Chloe Gong, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghostly
  1. spectral
  2. phantom
Adjective
  • Swift appears as a spectral figure trying to warn Johnson that, based on her own experience, her rich husband has more sinister intentions than his current bride imagines.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The spectral are getting louder, more insistent, more prevalent, and our literature, our cinema, reflect this.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of spectral
Adjective
  • This week, the SEC revealed details of a couple of cases involving phantom pre-IPO shares of SpaceX, OpenAI, and other hot startups.
    — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • By pitting different mathematical approaches against each other, the team can determine whether their simulations reveal genuine fluid physics or merely phantom software glitches.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of phantom

Browse Nearby Words

ghostliness
ghostly
ghosts
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Cite this Entry

“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghostly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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