poltergeist

noun

pol·​ter·​geist ˈpōl-tər-ˌgīst 

: a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (such as rappings)

Did you know?

One of the tricks a poltergeist is known for is making "knocking" noises, so it will come as no surprise to learn that the word poltergeist translates literally from German as "knocking spirit." The German verb poltern means "to knock," and Geist is the German word for "spirit." Another Geist descendant in English is zeitgeist ("the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era"). The English word ghost is also related; it descends from the same ancient root that led to Geist. Although ghost has been used in English since before the 12th century, poltergeist is a relative newcomer, first appearing as an English word in the middle of the 19th century.

Synonyms

• apparition
• bogey
• bogie
• bogy
• familiar spirit
• ghost
• hant [dialect]
• haunt [chiefly dialect]
• materialization
• phantasm
• fantasm
• phantom
• shade
• shadow
• specter
• spectre
• spirit
• spook
• sprite
• vision
• visitant
• wraith

Examples of poltergeist in a Sentence

we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains

Recent Examples on the Web

In the clip, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) and her daughter, Astrid (Ortega), appear to accidentally summon the poltergeist just as Lydia did in the 1988 classic by repeating Beetlejuice's name three times. —Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 2 July 2024

Soon, two films will compete over nostalgia baiting as Eddie Murphy reprises his role from Beverly Hills Cop and Michael Keaton returns as the titular poltergeist in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, both based on movies from the 1980s. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 May 2024

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice brings Michael Keaton back as the iconically ghastly poltergeist in a decades-in-the-making sequel that reunites him with visionary director Tim Burton and costars Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 23 May 2024

Winona Ryder reprises her part as Lydia, a woman who has ties with the afterlife with Ortega playing her daughter who unintentionally rouses Keaton’s poltergeist. —Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from poltern to knock + Geist spirit

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

poltergeist

noun

pol·​ter·​geist ˈpōl-tər-ˌgīst 

: a mischievous ghost thought to be the cause of mysterious noises (as rappings)