ghostly

adjective

Definition of ghostlynext
as in spectral
of or relating to a ghost A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.

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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 ghostly Yet, despite the fact that supernovas have been erupting every second over the course of 13 billion years or so to produce the neutrinos that accumulate as the DSNB, this ghostly signal is still faint, a whisper rather than a shout. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 July 2026 Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 6 July 2026 Things rapidly spiral out of control for the quartet as a waking nightmare, filled with ghostly figures and sudden disappearances, unfolds. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026 Loop adds transparency to moving objects between plays, for a ghostly look. — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghostly
  1. spectral
  2. phantom
Adjective
  • She’s represented here by a woman dematerializing headfirst, seemingly outlived only by her pendulous breasts, and a sparse landscape where a spectral figure peeks up from the bottom edge.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • This chamber spotlights the prevalence and power of the spectral and supernatural in film, with ghosts serving as inspiration for special and visual effects innovation.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
Definition of spectral
Adjective
  • Congress must crack down on fraud including upcoding and phantom billing, fraudulent facility fees and medical price gouging that benefits corporations over patients.
    — Elijah Manley, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026
  • During the Cold War, quixotic Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha built some 750,000 concrete pillboxes to fend off a phantom invasion that never came.
    — Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
Definition of phantom

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ghostliness
ghostly
ghosts
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Cite this Entry

“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghostly. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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