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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Recent Examples of spectral
But the vastness was really about fostering conditions in which his spectral harmonies could thrive.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The series stars Jared Harris as Francis Crozier as captain of the HMS Terror and Tobias Menzies as James Fitzjames, captain of the HMS Erebus, whose crews are stalked by a spectral creature called a Tuunbaq after the ships are trapped in the ice.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 23 Jan. 2026
Data can be encoded in both the frequency and depth of these spectral holes.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Using real-time spectral analysis inspired by George Lewis’s Voyager, the instrument generates its own musical responses to create a non-hierarchical duet between the performer’s physical gestures and the machine’s digital brain.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The series stars Jared Harris as Francis Crozier as captain of the HMS Terror and Tobias Menzies as James Fitzjames, captain of the HMS Erebus, whose crews are stalked by a spectral creature called a Tuunbaq after the ships are trapped in the ice.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 23 Jan. 2026
Data can be encoded in both the frequency and depth of these spectral holes.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Using real-time spectral analysis inspired by George Lewis’s Voyager, the instrument generates its own musical responses to create a non-hierarchical duet between the performer’s physical gestures and the machine’s digital brain.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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One day, a young Yemeni man, Yaqub, discovers Saida singing by the river, and is captivated by her beauty and her haunting melodies.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Buoyed by Indian-leaning instrumentation, and a haunting beat-switching production, the Argentine rapper explores themes of life, death and ambition in his freewheeling verse.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The killings are patterned on childhood drawings the victims made years earlier, lending the murders an eerie, premeditated quality.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Live broadcasts are an eerie experience.—
Roger Bennett,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Pick up the phone, and a creepy voice will ask if you, too, like scary movies, before testing your slasher-trivia knowledge.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Also registering is Anna Camp as Jessica, Sidney’s good friend and neighbor, along with her somewhat creepy son, Lucas (Asa Germann).—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Then there's SpongeBob SquarePants, whose latest movie finds the iconic character venturing to the creepy Underworld with a dastardly phantom pirate.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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Through the striking comparison of yesterday’s expectations and the mundane reality of those who were born and raised in the shadow of a phantom project, Rosario Minervini performs a dissection of clinical precision of the delays that have weighed down Italy’s collective psyche over time.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the gray dawn, rows of bicycles bobbed at their moorings, as though lifted by ghostly hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Though an occasional cellphone or refrigerator does make an appearance, Salvation takes place against an epic, timeless canvas, one filled with torchlit gatherings, solitary figures lurking in caves, and ghostly hallucinations.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
My Days of 58 is a weird Bill Callahan album, and a good one.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Part of the show’s charm is Ashley and Gordon’s often weird relationship, mostly due to the latter’s cringeworthy moments.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The film, which premiered in the Berlinale Forum, addresses Indonesia’s deforestation crisis through its supernatural premise.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Their connection is immediate, supernatural, and deeply erotic.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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