ghostly

adjective

ghost·​ly ˈgōst-lē How to pronounce ghostly (audio)
ghostlier; ghostliest
Synonyms of ghostlynext
1
: of or relating to the soul : spiritual
2
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a ghost : spectral
ghostliness noun
ghostly adverb

Examples of ghostly in a Sentence

A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Its ghostly inhabitants are never identified in a denominational kind of way but behave like the demons in The Exorcist and other Catholic possession films. — Katie Rife, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025 Rendered entirely in white, the sculpture’s ghostly presence indicates that despite attempts at care and containment, many plants did not survive the journey. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 25 Mar. 2025 With vivid imagery of California sunsets and moonlit drives, the song turns heartbreak into a ghostly presence that lingers long after the love is gone. — Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2025 Ghosts was recently renewed for two additional seasons, which, in addition to being an incredible amount of job security at an uncertain time in the industry, also indicates there’s lots of runway to keep exploring the history of Woodstone Mansion through the eyes of its ghostly inhabitants. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ghostly

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghostly was before the 12th century

Rhymes for ghostly

See All Rhymes for ghostly

Browse Nearby Words

ghostlore
ghostly
ghost moth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghostly. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

ghostly

adjective
ghost·​ly ˈgōst-lē How to pronounce ghostly (audio)
ghostlier; ghostliest
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a ghost
ghostliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ghostly

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ghostly

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