haunting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hauntingnext
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

haunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of haunt
as in visiting
to go to or spend time in often much of her time is spent haunting antique shops in search of unique knobs for the curio cabinets she builds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 haunting
Adjective
These numbers are especially haunting because the movement was never only about women. — Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 However, the area is not going to have a haunting vibe, per Spyropoulos. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
For Farrar, now 38, unintentionally becoming the Nostradamus of a surreal and often very dumb political era has been a bizarre experience — haunting, even. — David MacK, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 Tara Badstubner explores why recent ghosts are (actually) haunting us. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for haunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haunting
  1. eerie
  2. visiting
  3. creepy
  4. frequenting
  5. affecting
Adjective
  • Its best parts have a grandeur that surpasses its industrial settings and gets at something eerie and transcendent.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of eerie
Verb
  • At the Old Bailey Gallery, curator Dan Bailey hosts visiting artists to build the city's relationship with outside talent, while Studio by the Tracks has forged a grassroots space for artists with autism.
    — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Lehmann was reminded of the conversation after visiting Vicuña’s solo show at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) last November.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of visiting
Adjective
  • Haunted Eyes Albeit creepy, nothing sends haunting vibes like a pair eye decals.
    — Michella Oré, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Meteorologist Margaret Fairchild's (Emily Blunt) creepy report does, however, light the fuse on Steven Spielberg's UFO epic.
    — Tom Bailey, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of creepy
Verb
  • Inside McGuire’s Irish Pub, the moody, maze-like dining room is a far cry from the bright and airy seafood joints most vacationers are used to frequenting.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2026
  • O’Neil remains friends with Lizzie, frequenting Maplecroft well into their old age.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of frequenting
Verb
  • Mattel went through several rounds of layoffs over the course of 2025 and into 2026, ultimately affecting nearly 300 employees at the company’s El Segundo headquarters.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The president and his allies have warned that legal hurdles and uncertainty affecting key projects could dampen investor confidence.
    — Martin K.N Siele, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of affecting

Browse Nearby Words

haunters
haunting
haunts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haunting. Accessed 13 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 abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All