Synonyms of spook

spook 1 of 2

noun

ˈspük 

1

as in spy

a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country

Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spy
• operative
• agent
• mole
• undercover
• undercover agent
• secret agent
• asset
• emissary
• informer
• intelligencer
• sleeper
• courier
• double agent
• counterspy
• stool pigeon
• infiltrator
• spymaster
• superspy

2

as in ghost

the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people

Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ghost
• apparition
• spirit
• phantom
• haunt
• bogy
• spectre
• specter
• vampire
• poltergeist
• wraith
• zombie
• phantasm
• bogie
• demon
• shadow
• bogey
• visitant
• vision
• sprite
• materialization
• familiar spirit
• hant
• angel
• fantasm
• ghoul
• zombi
• familiar
• shade
• double
• fetch
• doppelganger
• djinn
• daimon
• genie
• jinn
• doppelgänger
• jinni
• genius
• incubus
• devil
• daemon
• djinni
• imp
• manes
• shaitan
• succubus
• lamia
• lemures
• fiend
• cacodemon

spook

2 of 2

verb

as in to frighten

to strike with fear

the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frighten
• scare
• terrify
• startle
• terrorize
• fright
• panic
• shock
• horrify
• shake
• alarm
• scarify
• affright
• alarum
• distract
• amaze
• make one's flesh crawl
• give one the creeps
• appal
• make one's flesh creep
• appall
• shake up
• disturb
• worry
• jolt
• unnerve
• unsettle
• astound
• awe
• daunt
• dismay
• distress
• dispirit
• disconcert
• emasculate
• bowl over
• floor
• perturb
• discomfort
• disquiet
• upset
• psych (out)
• demoralize
• unman
• chill
• discompose
• unstring
• undo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassure
• assure
• cheer
• comfort
• soothe
• encourage
• console
• steel
• inspire
• solace
• embolden
• hearten

Examples of spook in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now, suddenly, the future was here, and Bonn’s filing cabinets seemed as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, despite decades of scrutiny, years of mutual recognition, millions of family visits, no language barrier, and what was assumed to be a cadre of world-class spooks. —David Schoenbaum, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2014

But, Evil trades The X-Files sci-fi spooks for Catholic creeps. —Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2024

Verb

After the bull spooked, Vernon and I hunted on foot through timbered ridges for the rest of the morning. —Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 12 Sep. 2024

Prince Harry looked genuinely spooked during a Halloween experience with Jimmy Fallon. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024