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
Synonyms of haunting
Examples of haunting in a Sentence
Adjective
the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Dunn, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
It’s supposed to be dark, haunting, and speak on taboo societal issues of the time, with the knowledge that the characters are complex and morally ambiguous.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2025
The salt-spray air, the haunting aridity, the greens and reds of prickly-pear cacti—all of this had sparked many new ideas, the chef told me.
—Betsy Andrews, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
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Noun
Both directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Warhol, the films are subversive, sultry reimaginings of the classic Hollywood monsters, with Kier bringing a haunting yet comically inept spin on the title characters.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
It’s supposed to be dark, haunting, and speak on taboo societal issues of the time, with the knowledge that the characters are complex and morally ambiguous.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
This imagery is what partially inspired In The Earth Again, the haunting collaborative album between Oklahoma City metal band Chat Pile and Texas guitarist Hayden Pedigo that dropped on Halloween.
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2025
The salt-spray air, the haunting aridity, the greens and reds of prickly-pear cacti—all of this had sparked many new ideas, the chef told me.
—Betsy Andrews, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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