specter

noun

spec·​ter ˈspek-tər 

variants or spectre

1

: a visible disembodied spirit : ghost

2

: something that haunts or perturbs the mind : phantasm

the specter of hunger

Synonyms

• apparition
• bogey
• bogie
• bogy
• familiar spirit
• ghost
• hant [dialect]
• haunt [chiefly dialect]
• materialization
• phantasm
• fantasm
• phantom
• poltergeist
• shade
• shadow
• spirit
• spook
• sprite
• vision
• visitant
• wraith

Examples of specter in a Sentence

feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter

Recent Examples on the Web

The specter of tariffs comes amid already slowing EV sales as economic uncertainty sours sentiment for consumers, many of whom are avoiding buying cars or choosing cheaper hybrid vehicles instead. —Akash Sriram, USA Today, 8 May 2025

The specter of defunding has loomed over public media organizations for so long that executives have developed contingency plans. —Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 2 May 2025

The specter of foreign agitators contaminating American political culture loomed large in these debates. —Rick Baldoz, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025

As much as nobody seems to have any idea how any of this [gestures vaguely at everything] will impact marketing budgets and consumer spending, the specter of a recession has some national TV buyers anticipating a significant downturn in 2025-26 upfront spending. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French spectre, from Latin spectrum appearance, specter, from specere to look, look at — more at spy

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing specter

• raised the specter of
• the specter of (something)

Rhymes for specter

• hector
• lector
• nectar
• rector
• sector
• spectre
• vector
• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector

Kids Definition

specter

noun

spec·​ter

variants or spectre

ˈspek-tər 

1

: ghost

2

: something that bothers the mind