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

Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk. —Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025

George gets a tip from a fellow agency spook that there’s a rat in the house. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025

Verb

Recently, her 800-pound draft horse became spooked and rammed into her, knocking her down in the process. —Nicole Pajer, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025

President Trump’s campaign of import tariffs, among other factors, has shaken consumer confidence and spooked the stock market. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for spook

• fluke
• juke
• kook
• luc
• luke
• nuke
• puke
• souk
• archduke
• rebuke
• caoutchouc

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