spook

1 of 2

noun

1
2
: an undercover agent : spy
spookish adjective

spook

2 of 2

verb

spooked; spooking; spooks

transitive verb

1
2
: to make frightened or frantic : scare
especially : to startle into violent activity (such as stampeding)

intransitive verb

: to become spooked
cattle spooking at shadows

Examples of spook in a Sentence

Noun Russia recalled its spooks after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Halloween is the night when spooks and goblins are said to roam abroad. Verb The noise spooked the cat. The little girl was spooked by scary masks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Here are five ideas for getting your spook on for All Hallows Eve this year. Jené Luciani Sena, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2023 While Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees may be the holiday’s unofficial mascots, there are plenty of films with just enough spook and thrill for kids to enjoy. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023 Taylor Swift, government spooks, and art In late 2022, Mullenweg tweeted that Tumblr app downloads were up 57–58 percent on iOS and Android. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 9 Nov. 2023 Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 4 Seasonal Sweets Skip the spooks on a dessert buffet and make a sweet fall floral display surrounded by mini pumpkins instead. Alyssa Longobucco, House Beautiful, 31 July 2023 And for those truly looking for a spook, stay overnight at the Tarrytown House Estate, believed to have rooms haunted by ghosts. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2023 Why does her benign response to a throwaway sentiment about old age spook like a damning confession? Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023 Another source of spooks at the hotel, according to Bagans, stems from the Central School. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 July 2023 These mischievous, occasionally demonic, spooks of traditional Japanese folklore are known collectively as yokai. Hikari Hida, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2023
Verb
Although no one was injured, and there were just minor damages to the vehicles, Aries was spooked by the accident. Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 News of the bill has spooked investors, leading to a large-scale sell-off of shares in various biotech companies after an analyst call organized by BofA Global Research. Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 5 Feb. 2024 Plus, what if his shrill cries or unpredictable movements spooked a pack of lions or somehow set off an elephant stampede that flipped our SUV? Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Jan. 2024 Related Articles 49ers kicker Jake Moody finishes rookie season in bizarre fashion, but Kyle Shanahan isn’t spooked Kurtenbach: The 49ers lost their regular-season finale. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2024 Advertisement Michigan’s defense is a veteran unit that has seen a lot and won’t be spooked by anything — but the Big Ten schedule has not supplied it with any dynamic playmakers at the quarterback position. J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2023 The online travel service beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter sales and profit targets but issued a lukewarm forecast that spooked investors. Damian J. Troise, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024 Television ‘Cancel Culture’ has some L.A. comedians spooked. Seth Simons, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Israeli tech companies raised around $10 billion in 2023, roughly half the level of the previous year, amid a global slowdown in fundraising for startups and as the Israeli government’s plans to weaken the judiciary spooked investors. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spook.' 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

Dutch; akin to Middle Low German spōk ghost

First Known Use

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spook was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near spook

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

spook

1 of 2 noun

spook

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become frightened : scare

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