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

Adjective

• creepy
• eerie
• eery
• spookish
• spooky
• uncanny
• unearthly
• weird

Examples of haunting in a Sentence

Adjective

the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Another, given the shots from Mia’s POV in the final scene, would be to tell the story of Mia’s hauntings from Mia’s perspective — like a horrific spin on David Lowery’s A Ghost Story (2017). —Katie Rife, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025

Steven Soderbergh spooks Sundance with the haunting (and surprisingly funny) Presence Their boss, Arthur Stieglitz (Brosnan), is a force to be reckoned with — a menacing figure who demands precision and flawless work from his employees. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025

Adjective

This is a haunting, unpredictable novel that’s hard to shake after reading. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025

With a limited color palette and very spare design, the show subverts the commonplace elements of an office and invents a haunting visual language all its own that creeps you out while drawing you in. —Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2025

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