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
In reality, Tommy Johnson was unrelated to Robert, but the film’s character blends their mythologies into one spectral figure.
—
Arkansas Online, 17 July 2025
Onset was settled as a summer camp for Spiritualists, down from Boston for cool bay breezes and the opportunity to commune with the spectral and the dead.
—Dwyer Murphy
may 16, Literary Hub, 16 May 2025
The team noticed that eureka moments seemed to be highly correlated with a steep EEG spectral slope—the steeper the slope, the more likely people were to get a breakthrough.
—ArsTechnica, 6 July 2025
In his music, the phrase takes on a spectral weight: five leaves left on a tree, trembling as summer slips into fall; five moments of clarity before sleep; five truths too delicate for morning.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Arkansas Online, 17 July 2025
Onset was settled as a summer camp for Spiritualists, down from Boston for cool bay breezes and the opportunity to commune with the spectral and the dead.
—Dwyer Murphy
may 16, Literary Hub, 16 May 2025
The team noticed that eureka moments seemed to be highly correlated with a steep EEG spectral slope—the steeper the slope, the more likely people were to get a breakthrough.
—ArsTechnica, 6 July 2025
In his music, the phrase takes on a spectral weight: five leaves left on a tree, trembling as summer slips into fall; five moments of clarity before sleep; five truths too delicate for morning.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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Based on a 1967 semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, the film is a haunting, harrowing look at the physical and emotional costs of war.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
10 Aug. 2025
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The novel is described as a haunting portrait of five strangers forging fragile bonds amid war and displacement on the Sudanese border.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Just as eerie is its sound design, which evocatively captures, for instance, the squish of a scalpel slicing through alien flesh.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
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The most severe episode occurred in June 2023, when thick smoke turned the skyline an eerie orange.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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One suspects that much of the camp’s darkness will stem from the show’s creepy counsellor, played by Toni Collette.—
Shauna Lyon,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
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Monsters may scurry around 'Alien: Earth,' but Noah Hawley suggests the really terrifying characters might be human beings Hawley says preserving the sheer horror of the original films was integral to his project, and as viewers will see, the Xenomorph eventually gets some creepy friends.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Since no distributions are paid in a Zero-Coupon DST, an investor may need to pay out-of-pocket for any taxes owed on this phantom income.—
Fred Hubler,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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But Wildcat Dome is a novel that teems with ghosts and phantom voices, and also uses its highly symbolic characters to navigate a critical period in the history of a nation.—
Book Marks
August 1,
Literary Hub,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The marker ink had soaked into the wood floor and preserved the ghostly image of a skirted shadow-girl.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
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This cute figurine comes in three different styles: one sweet ceramic ghost holding a bat, another ghost holding a pink pumpkin, and the third, in a witch's hat, walking a ghostly dog on a leash.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Two-tone paint job and that weird hump of a trunk, remember?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
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Like everybody else in the show, he’s squeezed by the various, weird incentives of a capitalist medical system.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Critics from Rotten Tomatoes appreciate how Anvari keeps supernatural appearances to a minimum, leaving much to the imagination.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Nevermore Academy remains central to the series, serving as the eerie boarding school where Wednesday continues her supernatural education.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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