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
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Indeed, no film of the past ninety years has given a more exciting and haunting take on Frankenstein mythos.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Max Schreck’s uncanny performance and makeup design were absolutely mesmerizing, as was the film’s unparalleled haunting atmosphere, made all the more palpable by the grainy 16mm transfer to VHS.
—Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
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Noun
Once a sanctuary from the outside world, the hotel has become a haunting cage, and both women long to escape.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Indeed, no film of the past ninety years has given a more exciting and haunting take on Frankenstein mythos.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Max Schreck’s uncanny performance and makeup design were absolutely mesmerizing, as was the film’s unparalleled haunting atmosphere, made all the more palpable by the grainy 16mm transfer to VHS.
—Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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