spooky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈspü-kē 

spookier; spookiest

1

: strange, unsettling, or frightening in a way that suggests or relates to the supernatural : eerie, uncanny

a spooky coincidence

[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

Olivia 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

sometimes, specifically : relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts or spooks

a spooky old house

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

2

: nervous, skittish

a spooky horse

spookily

ˈspü-kə-lē 

adverb

spookiness

ˈspü-kē-nəs 

noun

spookiness

2 of 2

noun

spook·​i·​ness -kēnə̇s 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being spooky

skillful lighting gave … the right touch of spookiness

—Carnegie Magazine

Synonyms of spooky

Adjective

• excitable
• nervous

Examples of spooky in a Sentence

Adjective

The music was pretty spooky.

a spooky horse shying at shadows

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The 20th century in particular abounded in such visions, some of which—The Handmaid’s Tale, or Brave New World, published in 1932 and getting spookier every day—have proved more prophetic than others. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz and the Deetz family offer a slightly spookier option for families looking beyond traditional matching costumes. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Flitting between deadpan sorrow and impassioned romance, Bridgers’ album is alternately spooky, hilarious, mysterious and sneakily moving. — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

Nestlé’s Summerween Cookie Doughs Make your summer a little spookier with one of Nestlé’s Summerween treats. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spooky

adjective

ˈspü-kē 

spookier; spookiest

1

: relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts

spooky houses

2

: skittish sense 2

a spooky horse

spookiness noun