haunting
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
(of memories) poignant or persistent
-
poignantly sentimental; enchantingly or eerily evocative
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of haunting
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at haunt, -ing 2, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This haunting series, which has over 200 million views, was a part of a larger online movement on platforms like Reddit and TikTok that became fixated on mysterious spaces.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
“Born in the U.S.A.” is as haunting today to listen to as it was when he first sang it in 1984.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
The Gwangju uprising forms the haunting backdrop to Nobel laureate Han Kang's novel Human Acts.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Croatian band Lelek also wore face paint, with symbols representing the resistance of Catholic women during the Ottoman Empire, a topic they addressed with haunting folkloric harmonies on their song Andromeda.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
They started making steel in Levittown only as far back as 1952, but the reality and sentiment of Springsteen’s haunting requiem applies just the same.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
