banshee

noun

Definition of bansheenext
as in demon
a female spirit in Irish and Scottish stories who cries loudly to warn people that someone is going to die soon claimed to have heard the terrifying wail of a banshee

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of banshee The bond between a rider and their banshee doesn't break, and chances are your bond with this two-figure set won't either. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025 Then, like an alarm clock, howler monkeys unleashed their banshee shriek, staking their territory as the sun rose. — Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025 His bronc riders look more like pietàs in mud; his barrel racers scream like banshees on horseback. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 Temperance let loose a banshee wail. — Charna Flam, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for banshee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banshee
  1. demon
  2. phantom
  3. ghoul
  4. vampire
  5. ghost
  6. wraith
  7. apparition
  8. hag
Noun
  • Johnny then becomes bonded to a supernatural demon called the Spirit of Vengeance and is able to transform into a flaming, skeletal biker.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 26 July 2026
  • Sharing personal demons and political passions go hand in hand for 23-year-old Rodrigo.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • That’s the £312 million phantom.
    — Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
    — Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of phantom
Noun
  • Night of the Living Dead centers all the action at a farmhouse, where seven people attempt to ward off the ghouls — without any prior knowledge of how to do so.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
  • As boss-man turns into a cantering, slavering, apparently all-over treble-jointed ghoul, Young-cheol announces that his own living blood contains the only antidote.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 May 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • The new season will focus heavily on the original vampire, Akasha, portrayed by Sheila Atim in The Vampire Lestat.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
  • Among his vulnerable confessions include a detailed recollection of his first love, Nicolas de Lenfent (Joseph Potter), who became a vampire with Lestat.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of vampire
Noun
  • Trouble is, the place is haunted by racist ghosts (Stranger Things’ Brett Gelman and Ari Dayan) with dark motives of their own.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 July 2026
  • Kennecott offers a mix of ghost-town dwellings, historic attractions, and trails.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • The score by Joseph Bishara is shivery with chorales that moan like wraiths in the wind.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Pilots can see bad weather lurking in the distance hours before takeoff, glowing like a wraith on their digital maps.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of wraith
Noun
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • The music starts to shift beginning with the third episode, when Lestat becomes overwhelmed by the apparition of his abusive maker and other ghosts, including Claudia, whose killing he’d been forced to witness firsthand.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Definition of apparition
Noun
  • Pinned beneath her rotting legs in his recliner chair, Loftis narrowly escapes by yanking its lever, catapulting the hag over his head.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • They're also known as hag moth caterpillars.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
Definition of hag

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Cite this Entry

“Banshee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshee. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on banshee

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about banshee

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