Synonyms of poltergeist

poltergeist

noun

ˈpōl-tər-ˌgīst 

as in ghost

the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people

we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ghost
• apparition
• spirit
• phantom
• haunt
• wraith
• vampire
• specter
• demon
• spook
• materialization
• phantasm
• sprite
• zombie
• vision
• visitant
• shadow
• familiar spirit
• bogey
• angel
• hant
• ghoul
• daimon
• shade
• genie
• familiar
• doppelgänger
• double
• fetch
• incubus
• succubus
• jinni
• genius
• lemures
• manes
• shaitan
• imp
• devil
• lamia
• cacodemon
• fiend

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of poltergeist

The cupboards open and shut on their own, as if a poltergeist is rummaging through the house. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Mar. 2026

Some would argue that Presence is more drama with supernatural elements than horror, but this is a haunted-house movie filmed from the perspective of a poltergeist. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025

Valak first appears in The Conjuring 2, when the Warrens are in England, investigating the Enfield poltergeist — the case of a young girl allegedly experiencing a supernatural force taking over her body. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

The Warrens are also famous for their investigation of a haunted house in Amityville, NY, and the 1980s Connecticut poltergeist case based on a Warren case, in which demonic possession was used unsuccessfully as a defense in a murder trial. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!