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 Frozen Empire, an ancient artifact threatens to unleash a second Ice Age and two generations of Ghostbusters must unite to save humankind from this curse and other spectral forces.
—
Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
In the center of the room, swathed in shadow, is the faint spectral outline of a small boy.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
And the measurements of the scalar spectral index, plus the limits on primordial gravitational waves, favor certain models of inflation (like slow-roll, single-field models) while disfavoring others (like hybrid inflation and large-field models).
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Scientists have long suspected that the will-o’-the-wisp’s spectral glow came from a chemical reaction in gases released by decaying organic matter.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
In the center of the room, swathed in shadow, is the faint spectral outline of a small boy.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
And the measurements of the scalar spectral index, plus the limits on primordial gravitational waves, favor certain models of inflation (like slow-roll, single-field models) while disfavoring others (like hybrid inflation and large-field models).
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Scientists have long suspected that the will-o’-the-wisp’s spectral glow came from a chemical reaction in gases released by decaying organic matter.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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Held captive in a shadowy basement, Michelle’s ordeal blurs the line between paranoia and revelation on Teddy’s remote ranch, where his hive of bees becomes a haunting metaphor for control.—
Tiana DeNicola,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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The image of the delicate pink suit splattered with blood is one of the most haunting juxtapositions in modern history.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The eerie clip features narration from Cale as Charli awakens in a gloomy house and pours hot candle wax on her body.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
10 Nov. 2025
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Much of the debris had been cleared, which made the houseless lots seem even more eerie.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The woman dressed as a spooky ringmaster while her husband played the part of a creepy clown.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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None of this would work without Jennings’s unsettling performance as a persuasive tempter who nonetheless seems creepy as hell.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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It was leased for him by his mother, one of the many eccentricities friends and former business associates described about the otherwise phantom-like man who was always on the cusp of a blockbuster that never quite materialized.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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And because, like most other amputees, her brain was continuing to receive and interpret nerve signals as if her limbs were still there, Lulu also was experiencing severe phantom pain.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Some of these are described by a narrator and visualized as ghostly incursions from the past.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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But as old tensions flare between them, Katie begins to experience terrifying visions and a ghostly presence warning of something sinister lurking aboard.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Our weird mayor finds ways to stay busy—too busy to call the mayor-elect and say congrats, apparently.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Josh is so great with coming up with different chords and weird chords.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, this territory has been visited many times in other ways, mainly contemporary such as The Exoricst, but to see this kind of horror in what is described as a genre-bending supernatural thriller is a new one for me.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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This came after director Ryan Coogler had asked her to work on his supernatural thriller, where Caton plays the son of a preacher.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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