spook

1 of 2

noun

ˈspük 

1

: ghost, specter

2

: an undercover agent : spy

spookish

ˈspü-kish 

adjective

spook

2 of 2

verb

spooked; spooking; spooks

transitive verb

1

: haunt sense 3

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

Synonyms

Noun

• agent
• asset
• emissary
• intelligencer
• mole
• operative
• spy
• undercover

Verb

• affright
• alarm
• alarum
• fright
• frighten
• horrify
• panic
• scare
• scarify
• shock
• startle
• terrify
• terrorize

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

But Fly Me to the Moon barely develops its lead characters, played by Johansson and Channing Tatum, so what chance does Harrelson have in playing anything more than a one-dimensional spook? —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024

Read on for what the cosmos have in store for your zodiac sign this Halloween amid Scorpio season, according to PEOPLE's resident astrologer Kyle Thomas Comments There's a spook in the stars! —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

The idea is that the scent will get the buck to stop for a moment, but not get spooked. —Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

But, this time, something spooked him—a distant rooster crowing. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

spook

1 of 2 noun

ˈspük 

1

: ghost, specter

2

: spy entry 2 sense 2

spook

2 of 2 verb

: to make or become frightened : scare