Synonyms of specter

specter

noun

ˈspek-tər 

variants or spectre

as in apparition

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

feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of specter

For other families quietly and often despairingly living with similar problems of addiction and mental illness involving their children, the tragedy is an unnerving, looming specter — a worst-case scenario made real. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

The riotous 640-page door stopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Energy prices are a key driver of broader inflation, which has ticked up in major economies in recent months – raising the specter of interest rate hikes that would, in turn, feed into higher borrowing costs for consumers. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Scott Olson | Getty Images Prices for a wide swath of goods and services continued to climb in August, according to a report Friday that raises the specter of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike next week. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026