: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a ghost: spectral
ghostlinessnoun
ghostlyadverb
Examples of ghostly in a Sentence
A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.
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Modern science tends to see consciousness as arising from neural activity, like ghostly software conjured through the brain’s material hardware.—Conor Feehly, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2026 This was a time of communal seances, Ouija boards, and ghostly communication—ghost writing, in the literal sense.—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026 The lights grow hazy, and the friends seem to see the ghostly images of their younger selves dancing alongside them.—Anna Russell, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 But from the tomb of Philip’s father, Charles V, comes a booming ghostly voice, and Carlo is led away into darkness.—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026 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