haunting

1 of 3

noun

haunt·​ing ˈhȯn-tiŋ 

ˈhän-

plural hauntings

: an act of haunting

especially : visitation or inhabitation by a ghost

… its early history is replete with drama: duels, murders, shipwrecks, … even ghostly hauntings.

—Sally Gibson

When asked about hauntings on Tuesday's tour, [Albert] Walavich said he knew he would get a question about ghosts on Halloween, but he doesn't believe any haunt the grounds.

—Taylor Hartz

haunting

2 of 3

adjective

: having qualities (such as sadness or beauty) that linger in the memory : not easily forgotten

a haunting melody

haunting images

… pale, branchless tree trunks with a haunting, Georgia O'Keeffe quality …

—Susannah Master

haunting

3 of 3

present participle of haunt entry 1

Synonyms of haunting

Adjective

• eerie
• creepy

Examples of haunting in a Sentence

Adjective

the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And there was something both beautiful and haunting about including that in the film. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

His journey leads him to a small town, where a blossoming romance with a doctor and single mother of two draws him into the life of a reclusive old man with a haunting past. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The modern cityscape of Tel Aviv, with its gleaming skyscrapers, its huge and well-lit residential buildings, looms over the picture, both as a haunting background and as telling cutaways. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Atticus, like the best actors, just seems a complete natural in front of the camera and creates a haunting portrait of a young man whose violent restless nature is not easy to tame, even as Clemens’ empathetic Rebecca tries. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "frequenting a place, dwelling place," from haunten "to frequent, haunt entry 1" + -ing -ing entry 1

Adjective

from present participle of haunt entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1823, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haunting

• daunting
• flaunting
• taunting
• vaunting
• wanting