as in haunting
of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost
They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.
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Recent Examples of spectral
As Atom and Claudine traverse the countryside and meet various other characters (cast mostly from non-professional actors), the frame takes on a spectral presence.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Hazel’s magical threads can be fashioned into a temporary glider or a grappling hook to help with platforming, used to conjure spectral objects that seem somewhat stuck between worlds, and wielded in battle to push enemies away and pull them towards her.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
The tragic conclusion reveals the spectral figures of guilt and regret that have made a home in this house, as much a part of it as any of its ghosts.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
Sayre Gomez’s 2 Spirits (2024), for example, features the sun setting behind a mural of a spectral figure that seems inspired by William Blake.
—Carolina A. Miranda, ARTnews.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Hazel’s magical threads can be fashioned into a temporary glider or a grappling hook to help with platforming, used to conjure spectral objects that seem somewhat stuck between worlds, and wielded in battle to push enemies away and pull them towards her.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
The tragic conclusion reveals the spectral figures of guilt and regret that have made a home in this house, as much a part of it as any of its ghosts.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
Sayre Gomez’s 2 Spirits (2024), for example, features the sun setting behind a mural of a spectral figure that seems inspired by William Blake.
—Carolina A. Miranda, ARTnews.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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Krauss’s ethereal voice is as haunting as ever on this mournful ballad, where doleful lyrics look back on a time marked by regret and deceit, and get elevated by the elegant interplay between Krauss’ voice and Jerry Douglas’s soul-piercing steel guitar.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
3 Feb. 2025
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Set to the same eerily catchy tune by composer Theodore Shapiro, the Season 2 incarnation of the credits — seen for the first time in Episode 2, now streaming — are even more haunting, diving into the surreal world of Mark’s brain and introducing other characters and landscapes.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Following Lottie’s lead, all the girls begin to chant and scream and dance around the fire, with the iconic eerie vocal chanting from the score joining in.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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As the audience pressed into a tight corner of the Park Avenue Armory, a jumbotron illuminated the darkened gymnasium, its bright red digits counting down with an eerie finality.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Both versions have the great misfortune of spending time with her father, Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) who ratchets up the creepy factor to eleven.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Macfadyen is the perfect creepy suburban dad, gaslighting his wife into submission when not tending to his model train and town with his son in a wooden shed.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That’s selling shares without borrowing them first, creating phantom shares that distort the market.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Ulrich reappeared after all this time as the phantom memory of Billy lurking in the mind of his daughter, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera).—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Expand All Take a walk down a block of Coconut Avenue and hear the ghostly silence.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2025
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Threading together hyperspeed drums and a ghostly ambience, Balenci creates a sort of supernatural drill.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The weirdest thing about it relative to those older pre-M2 Airs is still the display notch, a small cutout at the top of the screen that houses the camera.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
11 Mar. 2025
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Yes and no, which is a really weird thing about me.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The trailer soon shows just how those supernatural entities unfold, beginning with a sighting of two dogs in the forest that stand still in their tracks, as if frozen in time.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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The film represents a bold examination of the overseas Filipino worker experience, using supernatural horror as a lens to explore the emotional toll of migration.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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