plural spooks
spooks; spooked; spooking
chiefly US, informal
1
: to scare or frighten (a person or animal)
The noise spooked the cat.
The little girl was spooked by scary masks.
2
: to become frightened
She doesn't spook easily.
—usually used of an animalThe horse spooked and ran away.
Cite this Entry
“Spook.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/spook. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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