ghost story
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of ghost story
First recorded in 1810–20
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.
“Presence” was a ghost story about teenage loneliness, filmed from the perspective of a spirit haunting the house a grieving family has just moved into.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
In a time of twisty, “prestige” supernatural horror, the good, old-fashioned ghost story has fallen by the wayside.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2025
The new Alexandre Aja film “Never Let Go” is billed as a psychological thriller and sports a trailer that makes it look like a ghost story.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024
So is this a ghost story, or a time loop, or a memory play?
From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2024
Cob and the others exchanged shaky smiles, like boys spooked by a ghost story.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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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.