1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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
The details of Ivester’s murder are so haunting that a juror fainted during Thompson’s trial. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 The modern cityscape of Tel Aviv, with its gleaming skyscrapers, its huge and well-lit residential buildings, looms over the picture, both as a haunting background and as telling cutaways. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
But bridge sagas have a way of haunting governors, said Adam Myers, a political scientist at Providence College. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Ollie’s passing prompted the Pecks to talk about death with their children, including a now-haunting conversation that Eloise had with her mom. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 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
  • An eerie silence, empty halls and security guards marked the end, at least for now, of a once-vibrant public space.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Below, explore 11 cities reclaimed by nature and the eerie beauty left behind when the earth reclaims what was only momentarily ours.
    — Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of eerie
Verb
  • If asked before arriving what their goal was in visiting the museum that day, a likely answer would have been that the point of the visit is to witness the art.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Global interest in visiting South Korea, not just appreciating its culture from afar, is driving traveler numbers to the country like never before—over 6 million visitors were recorded in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
    — Anna Haines, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of visiting
Adjective
  • Get to the creepy hospital’s 48th floor, where a laboratory may be able to fashion a cure for this viral outbreak turning people into the walking, running, jumping, chomping dead.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Disembodied hands lurk in the shadows, furniture seems to move on its own, and creepy figures pop out from unexpected hiding spots in the set (designed by Reck, Connor Hopkins, Zac Crofford and Rael).
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of creepy
Verb
  • Along with frequenting the 187-year-old Neilson’s department store, visitors can eat in one of four Michelin recommended restaurants.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Epps worked as a truck driver, frequenting a route between Miami and Atlanta, according to court documents.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of frequenting
Verb
  • Aging networks face fresh scrutiny The outage came on the same day the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report examining cybersecurity risks affecting aircraft communications and FAA systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Iran media reports, however, suggest the shortages are far more wide-reaching, affecting everything from antidepressants to insulin and pregnancy medications.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 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 25 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tactile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

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
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All