ghost

noun
\ ˈgōst How to pronounce ghost (audio) \

Definition of ghost

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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 : spirit, demon
4a : 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

ghost

verb
ghosted; ghosting; ghosts

Definition of ghost (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to haunt like a ghost
2 : ghostwrite ghosted the mayor's autobiography
3 informal : to cut off all contact with (someone) : 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

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

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Other Words from ghost

Noun

ghostlike \ ˈgōst-​ˌlīk How to pronounce ghostlike (audio) \ adjective
ghosty \ ˈgō-​stē How to pronounce ghosty (audio) \ adjective

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

No silverware was added to the cabinet, though painful memories were etched into the minds of supporters and players alike; the latter must ensure those ghosts are laid to rest. SI.com, "Real Madrid: The XI That Should Start Against Real Valladolid," 22 Aug. 2019 The protagonist of David Makes Man walks among ghosts. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "A Rare Show That Explores the Nuances of Black Boyhood," 22 Aug. 2019 Maybe gods and ghosts were getting ready for their day, sure, but no people, no cars. Catherine Lacey, Harper's magazine, "Who Is She?," 19 Aug. 2019 The dead children and wounded women were never ghosts to me. Los Angeles Times, "Readers React: Their families were interned, but Japanese American fighters served proudly," 17 Aug. 2019 One is Nora, a wife and mother waiting for her husband to return home, and the other is Lurie, a former outlaw who believes he is being haunted by ghosts. Annabel Gutterman, Time, "Barack Obama Shares His 2019 Summer Reading List," 14 Aug. 2019 Crump also co-created with Yale Gracey the special effect that created the see-through ghosts. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Last ‘Haunted Mansion’ designer looks back on spooky Disney ride’s 50th anniversary," 9 Aug. 2019 His various drafts evolved into a story about a troubled boy (Haley Joel Osment) who purports to see ghosts and is visited by a psychiatrist (Bruce Willis, with hair). Gary Thompson, Twin Cities, "‘The Sixth Sense’ at 20: M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout still stuns," 5 Aug. 2019 And because this is an imperfect world, filled with greed and violence, even the blinding high-noon dazzle of those snow-white Salt Flats can’t drive out the shadows and the ghosts and the darkness at the heart of the story. Mark Mahaney, Smithsonian, "Danny Thompson’s Blazing Nitromethane-Fueled Pursuit of Racing Glory," 10 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But the risk is worth it, especially if the alternative is ghosting. Alexandra Ossola, Quartzy, "Use this perfect breakup text to cure the terrible ghosting trend," 8 Aug. 2019 No one was getting ghosted on Bumble at 49 with absolutely no explanation. Susanna Schrobsdorff, Time, "'Is 55 Too Old to Go on Tinder?' What Dating Looks Like for the Middle-Aged," 6 Aug. 2019 At this point, ghosting — or ending a relationship by simply disappearing — is old news. Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "Caspering Is a New Dating Trend That's Actually Worse Than Ghosting," 17 July 2019 Kaka was half the player at the Bernabeu and ghosted through many games. SI.com, "6 Footballers Who Had Their Reputations Ruined by One Bad Career Move," 22 June 2019 However, don't be surprised if someone ghosts a meeting or disappears from sight. Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for June 21, 2019: Leo, summer sunshine sheds light on a mystery; Pisces, think long-term and permanent," 21 June 2019 Good thing, too, because Air Berlin ghosted it customers right in the middle of her trip. USA TODAY, "Summer 2019's biggest travel headaches: 737 Max groundings, disappearing discount carriers," 19 June 2019 My dad has been contacting me recently, apologizing for ghosting us and wanting to meet me and my family. Carolyn Hax, The Mercury News, "Carolyn Hax: Will I regret not hearing my father’s side of the story?," 11 June 2019 Nevertheless, their anxiety is causing some baffling workplace behaviors—such as ghosting the boss. Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "The Most Anxious Generation Goes to Work," 9 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ghost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ghost

Noun

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

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for ghost

Noun and Verb

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

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