ghostly

adjective

ghost·​ly ˈgōst-lē How to pronounce ghostly (audio)
ghostlier; ghostliest
1
: of or relating to the soul : spiritual
2
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a ghost : spectral
ghostliness noun
ghostly adverb

Examples of ghostly in a Sentence

A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.
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.
Another team, led by astronomer Yimeng Tang at the University of California, Santa Cruz, compared FCC 224's properties to other galaxies that seemingly lack dark matter, focusing on two ghostly objects within the NGC 1052 group about 65 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025 The parting words of this ghostly image of her have been lodged in Ray’s mind way past its welcome. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 Like the ghostly hulk of the Titanic below the surface of the sea, Northbrook Court is a quiet and cavernous relic — at the bottom of the retail food chain. David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 Now, that’s nearly gone, showing only a ghostly impression against the freckles on his skin. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghostly. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

ghostly

adjective
ghost·​ly ˈgōst-lē How to pronounce ghostly (audio)
ghostlier; ghostliest
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a ghost
ghostliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ghostly

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