as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
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Recent Examples of poltergeist
Or might the brook be angry, like a poltergeist deranged by degradation, indignity, and concealment?
—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 30 Oct. 2024
For all of movie history’s great what-if casting coulda-beens, Beetlejuice might have the best of all of them: Burton wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play the titular poltergeist.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 30 Oct. 2024
For all of movie history’s great what-if casting coulda-beens, Beetlejuice might have the best of all of them: Burton wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play the titular poltergeist.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
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And with that, the Woodstone property gained yet another ghost, one who may have just launched the show into its season endgame.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
6 Mar. 2025
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So the unseen figure of the ghost becomes an expression of the filmmaker’s power over the frame, evoking the sadistic-voyeuristic nature of cinema in general and genre cinema in particular.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Zoe, as an apparition, is both the cause and relief to her pain.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
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In one of the film’s more startling moments, Shiri and Yarden Bibas and other residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz — many of whom, including Shiri Bibas and her two children, are now confirmed dead — flit across the screen like apparitions.—
Toby Axelrod,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The evening will celebrate the spirit of Morocco with culinary offerings, art, books and a film screening.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2025
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Over the years, cast reunions and even a 2023 Audible spinoff have kept the Scooby Gang spirit alive and kicking, but talks of a revival were once just rumors.—
Kate Hogan,
People.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Whatever phantom is chasing him is a persistent one, the show teasing the events that drove him away from his job repeatedly through the pilot.—
Ayan Artan,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2025
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The sonic phantoms that have long plagued The View have finally wafted over to terrorize the set of Live With Kelly and Mark.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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