SPECTRAL Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

spectral

adjective

Definition of spectral

as in haunting

of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.

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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 spectral The administration's other telescopic projects include SPHEREx, which launched in 2025 with the goal of conducting a widespread infrared spectral survey of the sky, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in 2021 and now orbits the sun with a distance of one million miles from Earth. — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026 The spectral evidence also indicates DJ was only partially altered by water, which Marchi says tells us something about its history. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 June 2026 In one chilling early scene, the toys peek out Bonnie’s window and see all the houses around them lit up, from within, by the spectral glow of personal digital devices. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 June 2026 Each parfum has a spectral musk accord that’s a combination of safe synthetic and naturally occurring musks that create unique sensations. — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spectral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral

Adjective

Sophie, a Polish immigrant, is forced to make an unconscionable decision which will have life-changing and haunting consequences.

— Lea Tran, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
The couple made their relationship public in 2008 and went on to appear together in Kelly Reichardt's haunting neo-Western Meek's Cutoff (2010).

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Definition of 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

Adjective

Using a seamless combination of FaceTime calls, CCTV and news footage, and investigators’ video evidence, Aneesh Chaganty weaves a riveting, anxious, and classically creepy found footage movie that puzzles until its final moments.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
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

Definition of creepy

Adjective

Congress must crack down on fraud including upcoding and phantom billing, fraudulent facility fees and medical price gouging that benefits corporations over patients.

— Elijah Manley, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026
During the Cold War, quixotic Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha built some 750,000 concrete pillboxes to fend off a phantom invasion that never came.

— Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Definition of phantom

Adjective

Yet, despite the fact that supernovas have been erupting every second over the course of 13 billion years or so to produce the neutrinos that accumulate as the DSNB, this ghostly signal is still faint, a whisper rather than a shout.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 July 2026
Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 6 July 2026

Definition of ghostly

Adjective

The bet, which happened on Polymarket, isn’t weird for the wild world of prediction markets.

— Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
The weird, vaguely threatening statement doesn’t lay the groundwork for a productive night, so naturally the vibes are just all off as the boys hang, so much so that Christian regrets planning it altogether.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 July 2026

Definition of weird

Adjective

This resulted not just in a convincing depiction of a supernatural creature but also a surprisingly tender one in keeping with the overall humanistic tone of the film.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Deon is also working with Kevin Hart’s production company to write, direct, and star in two new Black supernatural movies, which are slated to appear on Tubi in 2026.

— Rachel Brodsky, Time, 14 July 2026

Definition of supernatural

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spectra

spectral

spectrum

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“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of spectral

adjective

Example Sentences

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