HAUNTING Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

haunting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of haunting

as in eerie

fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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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

One of the movie’s most haunting subplots involves prisoners, who are pulled from labor camps looking half-dead and subsequently folded into Michael Caine‘s soccer team at the Brit’s insistence, but possibly to his squad’s detriment. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 June 2026 Impressive also is the score from Tony Lewis and folk singer Jim Ghedi, including the uniquely haunting vocals from the latter. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 June 2026

Verb

There are even whispers of his ghost still haunting the area. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 19 June 2026 Their deceased friend is now haunting them, bent on taking their lives for ruining his. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for haunting

Recent Examples of Synonyms for haunting

Adjective

As the Emcee, an eerie, contorted figure who represents the slow blackening of the city’s soul, Muscato picks up from a prestigious line of talent that includes Eddie Redmayne, Billy Porter and Matt Willis.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Even when BookTok does rally around a quote-unquote serious writer—such as Sally Rooney or Ottessa Moshfegh—there is a veneer of genre favoritism and eerie self-identification.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Definition of eerie

Verb

Though the stalls outside the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo mainly sell fake leather goods and cheap souvenirs, the actual market is worth visiting.

— Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Though the Bone Thugs don’t have prior experiences visiting the Walk of Fame (after all, Ruthless Records was founded not in Hollywood but Compton), receiving their star feels like a step towards remediating that lack of recognition.

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 8 July 2026

Definition of visiting

Adjective

Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
The voice in the trailer is creepy and not in the way that Wonka is meant to be creepy.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 30 June 2026

Definition of creepy

Verb

After completing his four-year stretch, Clayton-Thomas in 1962 began frequenting the music scene on the Yonge Street strip, when Arkansas rockabilly great Ronnie Hawkins gave him his first paying job in music.

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
Arthur Van Wyk, who produces comedy events in Durban, began frequenting the bar some three decades ago.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 June 2026

Definition of frequenting

Verb

And women who suspect their period pain is more severe than normal should not hesitate to speak with a health care provider, especially if symptoms are affecting their quality of life.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
The heat is affecting how air pollution disperses over the region, National Weather Service meteorologist Carol Ciliberti said Sunday.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of affecting

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Style

“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haunting. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of haunting

adjective

verb

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