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

Akin is getting his chance and then some with this year’s haunting opener Ghost Song, following two students who meet in a Berlin nightclub and immediately fall head over heels in love. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

His journey leads him to a small town, where a blossoming romance with a doctor and single mother of two draws him into the life of a reclusive old man with a haunting past. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Adjective

However, the area is not going to have a haunting vibe, per Spyropoulos. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 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
• taunting
• vaunting
• wanting