ghosts 1 of 2

noun

plural of ghost
1
as in spirits
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people looked for ghosts in the graveyard on Halloween

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable she may be a good endurance runner, but she doesn't stand a ghost of a chance of winning in a sprint

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in relics
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished the down-at-the-heels town house is but a ghost of the neighborhood's former grandeur

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in demons
an evil spirit the vengeful ghosts of seamen who were deliberately shipwrecked upon these shores

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ghosts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ghost
as in tiptoes

Related Words

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 ghosts
Noun
From glittering ghosts, ghastly goblins and wicked witches to wily warlocks, fashion can inspire any Halloween transformation. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026 There were earlier versions of this story that were openly mocking of Kip, versions that threw Leo under the bus for being too sly; versions that were too overtly political; versions with ghosts that didn’t need to be there, and so on. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 And on Saturday, the Jayhawks were reminded that the ghosts of their Sunflower Showdown past will continue to haunt them until something changes. — Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026 No ghosts, ghouls, or demons here, just the evil things that greed makes people do, at least until the little guy starts fighting back. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 The ghosts populating Georgetown’s Oakhill Cemetery refuse to accept the circumstances — often abrupt or violent — that ended their lives. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Members of her immediate family have multiple wives, and a close friend claims to see ghosts. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Their paranormal intervention involves Dichen Lachman as Lois Anthony, in a role best described as Chris Hansen for ghosts. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Detecting cosmic ghosts Neutrinos are the second-most prevalent particles in the entire universe besides photons, particles of light. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
  1. spirits
  2. hoots
  3. relics
  4. demons
  5. pads
  6. apparitions
  7. licks
  8. traces
Noun
  • The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to consider whether Congress had the constitutional authority to impose a ban on distilling spirits in private homes more than 150 years ago.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Jonah himself is remaining positive while keeping his spirits up thanks to the love, support and encouragement of his family, friends and all those doctors and nurses who care so much for him.
    — Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.
    — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoots
Noun
  • The presentation positioned Zelda products almost as relics representing an ancient myth passed down through history.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the reception desk, a wall of 109 wooden pigeonholes doubles as an art installation, with some compartments displaying replicas of the property's original room keys and others filled with nautical relics reflecting Naples's coastal allure.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of relics
Noun
  • In Whalefall, Abrams screams and thrashes with the same vulnerability, and a few more inner demons.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
  • No ghosts, ghouls, or demons here, just the evil things that greed makes people do, at least until the little guy starts fighting back.
    — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of demons
Verb
  • In other words, the additional money that our companies are shelling out to cover higher memory costs ultimately pads these three companies’ bottom lines.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 June 2026
  • Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.
    — Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Definition of pads
Noun
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of apparitions
Noun
  • But for the most part, both are getting their points across, landing a few licks and, so far, avoiding the sort of major gaffe or damaging moment that could reshape the race.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Shafee operates in a languid, free-form zone throughout, trading his funky licks for loose, spacious lines and tolling, repetitive chords.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of licks
Noun
  • There was also a similar threat in 2023 when election offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state received mailings that contained a white powder, some of which contained traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, NBC reported.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday night, investigators worked into the late hours using luminol, a chemical that can reveal traces of blood not visible to the naked eye.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of traces

Browse Nearby Words

ghostly
ghosts
ghostwriter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ghosts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghosts. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All