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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

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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

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
Ishiguro’s novel is a haunting, sad story about loss and time passing and the nature of humanity, and this seems quite a bit cuter than that. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026 The details of Ivester’s murder are so haunting that a juror fainted during Thompson’s trial. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 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
  • Ema’s many long walks through the neighborhood are eerie — the screams echo as if from everywhere and nowhere — but there’s a stark beauty lurking behind the death and decay, as if life could come rushing back if enough people wanted to see it.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The trailer finds Depp gray-haired, with a scraggly beard, eerie eyes and thick accent, getting thrown to the ground and arrested.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 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

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Cite this Entry

“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haunting. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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