ghost story

noun

1
: a story about ghosts
2
: a tale based on imagination rather than fact

Examples of ghost story in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the mood for some celebrity hauntings and ghost stories this Halloween? Lydia Price, Peoplemag, 22 Oct. 2023 In the decades since, there have been rumors and ghost stories but no conclusive evidence about their fate. Longreads, 8 Sep. 2023 Other autumn happenings: jug band music, a hoedown and ghost stories. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023 For Halloween, some D.C. ghost stories that will chill you to your marrow. Jessica Contrera, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2023 Make a hit in the genre, and you’re all but guaranteed a slew of sequels that follow a tight formula: slasher films where a monstrous force stalks the youth, ghost stories set in creepy houses. David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2023 In another scene from the film, Imperioli tells a personal ghost story from the Chelsea Hotel. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023 Based on a Japanese ghost story, the delicate drama was arguably the sleeper of the festival. Lisa Kennedy, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 The monster reappears four years later, as Mary struggles to come up with a ghost story. Ruth Franklin, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghost story.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghost story was in 1730

Dictionary Entries Near ghost story

Cite this Entry

“Ghost story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20story. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on ghost story

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!