as in spectral
of or relating to a ghost
A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghostly
Now, that’s nearly gone, showing only a ghostly impression against the freckles on his skin.
—
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
That angle belongs to this ghostly presence that observes, and even sometimes interacts, on our behalf.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Presence, now in theaters, opens with the ghostly entity observing as a family of four—married couple Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their two teenage children, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang)—tour and subsequently move into the residence.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The cries that echo through the house at night aren’t ghostly wails but Asha’s gut-wrenching sobs.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
That angle belongs to this ghostly presence that observes, and even sometimes interacts, on our behalf.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Presence, now in theaters, opens with the ghostly entity observing as a family of four—married couple Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their two teenage children, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang)—tour and subsequently move into the residence.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The cries that echo through the house at night aren’t ghostly wails but Asha’s gut-wrenching sobs.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghostly
Adjective
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The technique captures light across a range of spectral bands beyond what the human eye can see.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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When astronomers examined the spectrum of Van Maanen 2 on one of these plates, they were astonished to see spectral features usually associated with much more massive stars—namely, a strong calcium absorption line in the star’s atmosphere.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As the casualties have mounted, locals have speculated on everything from the birds being electrocuted by power lines to a phantom serial bird killer being on the loose.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
12 May 2025
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Last month, Mulaney hosted Letterman — one of his absurdist late night heroes — on an episode focused on the lack of information men have about their height as part of a series-long gag about the phantom problem.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghostly. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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