spooky

adjective

ˈspü-kÄ“ How to pronounce spooky (audio)
Definition of spookynext
1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature a spooky horse shying at shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic a spooky tale of strange hauntings and mysterious reincarnations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 spooky The comment took off and became a popular creepypasta, or a spooky story spread online. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 27 May 2026 There’s something beautifully spooky and wonderful about Paul McCartney, at 83, being like that Orson Welles character, still mooning over someone who barely knew his name 70 years ago. — Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026 Bond yields around the world are rising, a spooky development that could easily weigh on economic growth by stunting consumer spending and capital investment. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 May 2026 The feel of it is really spooky. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for spooky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooky
  1. excitable
  2. eerie
  3. nervous
  4. haunting
  5. creepy
Adjective
  • The studio released the official trailer for the film on Thursday, showing Edgar-Jones as the formidable Elinor Dashwood; Esmé Creed-Miles as her excitable sister, Marianne; and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as their youngest sibling, Margaret.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • The excitable kids had been instructed several times to give Bryce Young room.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Definition of excitable
Adjective
  • As the Emcee, an eerie, contorted figure who represents the slow blackening of the city’s soul, Muscato picks up from a prestigious line of talent that includes Eddie Redmayne, Billy Porter and Matt Willis.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • Even when BookTok does rally around a quote-unquote serious writer—such as Sally Rooney or Ottessa Moshfegh—there is a veneer of genre favoritism and eerie self-identification.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026
Definition of eerie
Adjective
  • The looming project was why Purohit was nervous to move her mother into Silverado last winter.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • For most of the last decade the threat argument was a transatlantic one, with a nervous eastern flank pulling against a distracted west.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • Sophie, a Polish immigrant, is forced to make an unconscionable decision which will have life-changing and haunting consequences.
    — Lea Tran, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
  • The couple made their relationship public in 2008 and went on to appear together in Kelly Reichardt's haunting neo-Western Meek's Cutoff (2010).
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of haunting
Adjective
  • Using a seamless combination of FaceTime calls, CCTV and news footage, and investigators’ video evidence, Aneesh Chaganty weaves a riveting, anxious, and classically creepy found footage movie that puzzles until its final moments.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of creepy

Browse Nearby Words

spooks
spooky
spoon
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Cite this Entry

“Spooky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooky. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spooky

Nglish: Translation of spooky for Spanish Speakers

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