haunting

1 of 3

noun

haunt·​ing ˈhȯn-tiŋ 

ˈhän-

plural hauntings

: an act of haunting

especially : visitation or inhabitation by a ghost

… its early history is replete with drama: duels, murders, shipwrecks, … even ghostly hauntings.

—Sally Gibson

When asked about hauntings on Tuesday's tour, [Albert] Walavich said he knew he would get a question about ghosts on Halloween, but he doesn't believe any haunt the grounds.

—Taylor Hartz

haunting

2 of 3

adjective

: having qualities (such as sadness or beauty) that linger in the memory : not easily forgotten

a haunting melody

haunting images

… pale, branchless tree trunks with a haunting, Georgia O'Keeffe quality …

—Susannah Master

haunting

3 of 3

present participle of haunt entry 1

Synonyms of haunting

Adjective

• eerie
• creepy

Examples of haunting in a Sentence

Adjective

the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

These hauntings are not of the traditional sort. —Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026

Assadi’s writing is excellent – the kind that is often described as ‘lyrical’ or ‘haunting’. —Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Glimpses came through in the haunting stream of ambulances in empty New York City streets or images of overflowing morgues. —Fenit Nirappil, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2026

Jose Antonio Ramos died March 7 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, prosecutors wrote in a court filing in the case of Pedro Hernandez — the man now facing a third trial in Etan's haunting and infamous case. —ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "frequenting a place, dwelling place," from haunten "to frequent, haunt entry 1" + -ing -ing entry 1

Adjective

from present participle of haunt entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1823, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haunting

• daunting
• flaunting
• shantung
• taunting
• vaunting
• wanting