wraith

[ reyth ]
See synonyms for: wraithwraithlike on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. an apparition of a living person supposed to portend their death.

  2. a visible spirit.

Origin of wraith

1
First recorded in 1505–15; originally Scots; origin uncertain

Other words from wraith

  • wraithlike, adjective

Words that may be confused with wraith

Words Nearby wraith

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wraith in a sentence

  • Quite true, fair wraith; but you are not the only ghost at this dance to-night.

    Frank Merriwell's Pursuit | Burt L. Standish
  • Moya faced them tensely, a slim wraith of a girl with dark eyes that blazed.

    The Highgrader | William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for wraith

wraith

/ (reɪθ) /


noun
  1. the apparition of a person living or thought to be alive, supposed to appear around the time of his death

  2. a ghost or any apparition

  1. an insubstantial copy of something

  2. something pale, thin, and lacking in substance, such as a column of smoke

Origin of wraith

1
C16: Scottish, of unknown origin

Derived forms of wraith

  • wraithlike, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012