spookier; spookiest
1
: strange, unsettling, or frightening in a way that suggests the supernatural : eerie, uncanny
[Caroline] Shaw's composition … is a mysterious and densely layered four-movement work … with vocalization and spookier in-between sounds that originate deep in the throat: moans, gasps, exhalations of breath.—
Gia Kourlas
Gia KourlasOlivia Wilde's new film … owes a debt to many spooky dramas about the dark side of the suburbs—think The Stepford Wives, with even more of a sci-fi edge.—David Sims
David Sims
sometimes, specifically
: relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts or spooks
Spooky stories of Hawaiian night marchers (ghosts of warriors and chiefs) lurking around bushes and walking the trail are often told, but these haunted tales are not true, according to Lopaka Kapanui, a Native Hawaiian master storyteller … —Christina Hitt
Christina Hitt Synonyms
Examples of spooky in a Sentence
The music was pretty spooky.
a spooky horse shying at shadows
Recent Examples on the Web
In October, Spears celebrated the spookiest holiday of the year with her two daughters, with the three each taking on one of the Powerpuff Girls in a group costume.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
This wasn’t a spooky experience, so there wasn’t anything like that.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
San Diego County is hoppin’ with Easter egg hunts and festivities: Here’s a guide to upcoming events
March 11, 2024
Friday
Halfway to Halloween Film Festival: AMC Theaters is teaming up with Blumhouse to produce a film festival to celebrate the spookiest holiday outside of October.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
At night, break out old-school card games and spooky stories.
—Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024
Be sure to visit the Dungeon, the spooky back room, and have your photo taken with Michael Myers on his front porch.
—Maggie Kimberl, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Production design by Adam Reamer engulfs Cecilia in the abbey’s majestic courtyards, spooky corridors and candlelit chambers like a figure in a fresco, immersed in menacing ritual and beauty.
—Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Sam Mercer, who produced eight M. Night Shyamalan films starting with the spooky blockbuster The Sixth Sense, has died.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
This wasn’t a spooky experience, so there wasn’t anything like that.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
San Diego County is hoppin’ with Easter egg hunts and festivities: Here’s a guide to upcoming events
March 11, 2024
Friday
Halfway to Halloween Film Festival: AMC Theaters is teaming up with Blumhouse to produce a film festival to celebrate the spookiest holiday outside of October.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
At night, break out old-school card games and spooky stories.
—Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024
Be sure to visit the Dungeon, the spooky back room, and have your photo taken with Michael Myers on his front porch.
—Maggie Kimberl, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Production design by Adam Reamer engulfs Cecilia in the abbey’s majestic courtyards, spooky corridors and candlelit chambers like a figure in a fresco, immersed in menacing ritual and beauty.
—Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Sam Mercer, who produced eight M. Night Shyamalan films starting with the spooky blockbuster The Sixth Sense, has died.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spooky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Spooky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spooky. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spooky
adjective
spookier; spookiest
1
: relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts
spooky houses
2
: skittish sense 2
a spooky horse
spookiness
noun
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