as in spectral
of or relating to a ghost
A ghostly figure appears in the house at night.
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Recent Examples of ghostly
Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
The book’s heroine, Catherine Morland, is an avid reader of the popular novels of the day, and has a specific fondness for Ann Radcliffe’s real-life 1794 best seller, The Mysteries of Udolpho, a tale of ghostly figures and hidden manuscripts.
—Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Observers in Greenland's Scoresby Sund, Iceland's Reykjanes and Snæfellsnes peninsulas, and the Spanish cities of Leon, Burgos and Valladolid will be within the path and see the sun's ghostly corona.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Nighttime visitors have reported seeing a ghostly woman walking among the trees and what appear to be floating lights.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
The book’s heroine, Catherine Morland, is an avid reader of the popular novels of the day, and has a specific fondness for Ann Radcliffe’s real-life 1794 best seller, The Mysteries of Udolpho, a tale of ghostly figures and hidden manuscripts.
—Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Observers in Greenland's Scoresby Sund, Iceland's Reykjanes and Snæfellsnes peninsulas, and the Spanish cities of Leon, Burgos and Valladolid will be within the path and see the sun's ghostly corona.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Nighttime visitors have reported seeing a ghostly woman walking among the trees and what appear to be floating lights.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghostly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghostly
Adjective
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There’s flashbacks like spectral memories.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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But the vastness was really about fostering conditions in which his spectral harmonies could thrive.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Fraudulent images and phantom citations would embed themselves deeper and deeper in our systems of knowledge.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Members have said that the abuse occurred through over-billing, false records, identity theft, and phantom claims in Medicaid social service and health programs for the elderly, disabled, addicted, and homeless.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ghostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghostly. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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