ghost

1 of 2

noun

plural ghosts
1
: the seat of life or intelligence : soul
give up the ghost
2
: a disembodied soul
especially : the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness
3
4
a
: a faint shadowy trace
a ghost of a smile
b
: the least bit
not a ghost of a chance
5
: a false image in a photographic negative or on a television screen caused especially by reflection
6
: one who ghostwrites
7
: a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin
ghostlike adjective
ghosty adjective

ghost

2 of 2

verb

ghosted; ghosting; ghosts

transitive verb

1
: to haunt like a ghost
2
: ghostwrite
ghosted the mayor's autobiography
3
informal : to cut off all contact with (someone) abruptly and usually without explanation : to subject (someone, such as a former romantic partner) to ghosting see ghosting sense 2
No one wants to be ghosted, mostly because it sucks to admit that the person you gushed about last week is now pretending you don't exist …Ellen Scott

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move silently like a ghost
b
: to sail quietly in light winds
2

Examples of ghost in a Sentence

Noun a house haunted by ghosts looked for ghosts in the graveyard on Halloween Verb She ghosted the mayor's autobiography.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Taken in by eerie ghosts called the Wilis, Giselle then enters an ethereal world where dance is the language of the soul. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 A lot of ghosts, living and dead, float through, too — the aging but still vibrant musicians of that late ’50s/early ’60s musical revolution and the artists who live on only in recordings and archival interviews. Ty Burr, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Largely a residential isle, Holden Beach is all about simple pleasures, from biking and kayaking along with playing on the beach during the day, to ghost crabbing at night. Tracey Minkin, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 Exacerbating the situation is an apparent ghost list impeding the delivery of a wide range of items. Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Apart from the ease, ghost architecture should have disappeared by now because spotting it is never pleasant. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 Noel has pleaded not guilty to 25 felony charges, including corrupt business influence, theft, tax evasion and ghost employment, among other charges. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 That the tongue disappeared into the ether, and then the ghost of Annie K comes with the women and leave it there. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 By the time the inquiry was finished, nine people had been indicted for various political and financial crimes, including placing a ghost candidate on the ballot for the state legislature. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
In a viral January 2022 TikTok video, a New York woman recounted being ghosted by a dating app match, Caleb, after a promising first date. Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Millennials, for example, are most likely to feel anxious after ghosting and worried that ghosting will negatively impact future opportunities. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 19 Feb. 2024 After that, Campbell is accused of ghosting him, even as his court date approached. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2024 In some cases, ghosting might be used to avoid awkward conversations or negative feedback, especially if the reason for rejection is perceived as subjective or difficult to articulate. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Not to be confused with the 2001 Blake Shelton hit, Dasha employs handclaps, folksy fiddle and boot-stomping, made-for-line-dancing rhythms to propel this tale of calling out an ex-lover who ghosted her. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Both times, the person was ghosted and didn’t receive any responses or feedback as to why they were passed over. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 She’s repeatedly shown up to virtual interviews only to be ghosted. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Though some reviewers wish the pages were a brighter white, the thick paper minimizes the chance of any bleeding or ghosting—particularly important for anyone who uses brush pens for bullet journaling. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English gost, gast, from Old English gāst; akin to Old High German geist spirit, Sanskrit heḍa anger

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghost was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ghost

Cite this Entry

“Ghost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ghost

noun
ˈgōst
: the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people

Medical Definition

ghost

noun
: a structure (as a cell or tissue) that does not stain normally because of degenerative changes
specifically : a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin

More from Merriam-Webster on ghost

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