: 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.
Recent Examples on the WebThe homeowner who purchased the three-story, 4,600-square-foot Queen Anne Victorian house in Nyack in 1989 sued the previous homeowner for not disclosing the ghostly inhabitants, and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the buyer.—Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2023 And Melanie Pingel, who married Kyle Johnson there Oct. 13, was compelled to reserve a quiet space on a separate floor for guests who needed a moment away from the ghostly festivities.—Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023 As this is the first time the ride will be making its way to the high seas, fans can expect to be fully immersed in the ghostly realm while enjoying an array of craft cocktails and other spooky beverages.—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023 There can be a ghostly sense of the homeowner, accurate or otherwise, that can lead to speculation about who this absent person is.—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 Advertisement Her ghostly existence is not one conducive to capitalism.—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Nicole Strickland will discuss the adobe’s history and give attendees a glimpse into its ghostly happenings, from personal stories to captured audio evidence of the supernatural.—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2023 Set in New Orleans, the story hinges on an astrophysicist, Ben (LaKeith Stanfield), who has developed a camera theoretically capable of capturing ghostly images.—Brian Lowry, CNN, 27 July 2023 Eventually, the ghostly image of a rusted stern loomed into view on Thoctarides’s monitor.—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 20 June 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghostly.' 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
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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