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
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
Taylor Hartz
: 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
Susannah Masterhaunting
3 of 3present participle of haunt entry 1
Examples of haunting in a Sentence
Adjective
the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes
Recent Examples on the Web
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Based on the Pennsylvania haunting of the Smurl family, the film sent him down a research rabbit hole to find out all about the Warrens – a fascination that eventually turned into a hugely successful horror-movie universe.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
During the eight-day cruise, guests will visit the terra-cotta temples in Kalna, the Nawabi palaces of Murshidabad, the Mughal gardens of Khushbagh, the haunting ruins of Gaur, and Mayapur’s sprawling Hare Krishna complex.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
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.
Noun
With the demon defeated and the haunting over, the Warrens get to experience something of a happily ever after, living to experience Judy’s wedding and see their daughter have her own baby.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Based on the Pennsylvania haunting of the Smurl family, the film sent him down a research rabbit hole to find out all about the Warrens – a fascination that eventually turned into a hugely successful horror-movie universe.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Flash forward to Kubrick’s haunting final act when astronaut Dave Bowman is ensconced, spacesuit in tow, in a bizarre, futuristic rococo hotel suite.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
During the eight-day cruise, guests will visit the terra-cotta temples in Kalna, the Nawabi palaces of Murshidabad, the Mughal gardens of Khushbagh, the haunting ruins of Gaur, and Mayapur’s sprawling Hare Krishna complex.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
Cite this Entry
“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haunting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share