spook

1 of 2

noun

ˈspük How to pronounce spook (audio)
Synonyms of spooknext
1
: ghost, specter
2
: an undercover agent : spy
spookish
ˈspü-kish How to pronounce spook (audio)
adjective

spook

2 of 2

verb

spooked; spooking; spooks

transitive verb

1
: haunt sense 3
2
: to make frightened or frantic : scare
especially : to startle into violent activity (such as stampeding)

intransitive verb

: to become spooked
cattle spooking at shadows

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of spook in a Sentence

Noun Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad. Verb The noise spooked the cat. The little girl was spooked by scary masks.
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.
Noun
Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk. — Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 George gets a tip from a fellow agency spook that there’s a rat in the house. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
The proposal never went before voters with Republicans, then in control of the General Assembly, politically spooked at the prospect of losing power by backing a tax-hike initiative after the Edgar administration had denied such plans were afoot. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 Wall Street has been spooked by Mr. Trump's growing trade war, with economists warning that the conflict could slam economic growth and even potentially trigger a recession. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spook

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Dutch; akin to Middle Low German spōk ghost

First Known Use

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spook was in 1801

Rhymes for spook

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Browse Nearby Words

spoofer
spook
spookery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spook. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

spook

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become frightened : scare

More from Merriam-Webster on spook

Nglish: Translation of spook for Spanish Speakers

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