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spectral

adjective

Definition of spectralnext
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 Essentially a portable acoustic expert, SensorMAX continuously processes spectral energy profiles and data from up to eight subsurface sonobuoys simultaneously – doubling the feed capacity of legacy systems. — David Szondy august 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 The team computed 500 spectral points across the observed wavelength band, applying the transmission profile of the real interference filter and blurring the result to match the real telescope’s resolution. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 As this unfolds, La’An attempts to work the ship’s computer but only finds more footage of Harper, who then shows up in person in desiccated, spectral form before disappearing. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 July 2026 She’s represented here by a woman dematerializing headfirst, seemingly outlived only by her pendulous breasts, and a sparse landscape where a spectral figure peeks up from the bottom edge. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
  1. haunting
  2. creepy
  3. eerie
  4. phantom
  5. ghostly
Adjective
  • The comment takes on a haunting resonance three months later, after Panettiere was found unresponsive on a Sunday.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a haunting portrait of social collapse whose power is premised on the words and faces of survivors.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of haunting
Adjective
  • There was something really creepy and ugly about the whole thing.
    — Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In this intensely creepy horror flick, Jasmine Mathews stars as a young woman with a history of night terrors after her traumatic childhood.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of creepy
Adjective
  • Fog has an eerie and enchanting way of coloring how humans perceive our surroundings—and scientists are discovering that the atmospheric phenomenon may remake microbes’ experience of their environment, too.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The actress recalled the eerie deaths and accidents that happened during the shoot of the film, including a fire that ravaged a great part of the set and one of the crew members who lost their newborn child.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of eerie
Adjective
  • As Zai’s doubts about the wedding fester, scratches begin to appear on her legs, apparently the work of the phantom bride, while the menacing of this spirit produces blemishes on her skin.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The rush to capitalize on AI developers’ seemingly bottomless demand for computing power has produced some phantom projects and long-shot pitches.
    — Matt Day, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of phantom
Adjective
  • When Lydia’s sister, Claudine, becomes Odette’s new stepmother, a ghostly presence emerges in the house — spurring a story about grief and motherhood.
    — Chloe Gong, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Detectors are becoming so large and so sensitive that they will soon be swamped with other ghostly particles called neutrinos that are generated in the sun and in Earth’s atmosphere.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ghostly

Browse Nearby Words

spectra
spectral
spectrum
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Cite this Entry

“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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