haunt
Americanverb (used with object)
-
haunts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
haunted,
past participle, past
-
haunting
present participle
-
to visit habitually or appear to frequently as a spirit or ghost.
to haunt a house; to haunt a person.
-
to recur persistently to the consciousness of; remain with.
Memories of love haunted him.
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to visit frequently; go to often.
He haunted the galleries and bars that the artists went to.
- Synonyms:
- frequent
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to frequent the company of; be often with.
He haunted famous men, hoping to gain celebrity for himself.
-
to disturb or distress; cause to have anxiety; trouble; worry.
His youthful escapades came back to haunt him.
verb (used without object)
-
haunts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
haunted,
past participle, past
-
haunting
present participle
-
to reappear continually as a spirit or ghost.
-
to visit habitually or regularly.
-
to remain persistently; loiter; stay; linger.
noun
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haunts
plural
-
Often haunts. a place frequently visited.
to return to one's old haunts.
-
Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. and North England. a ghost.
verb
-
to visit (a person or place) in the form of a ghost
-
(tr) to intrude upon or recur to (the memory, thoughts, etc)
he was haunted by the fear of insanity
-
to visit (a place) frequently
-
to associate with (someone) frequently
noun
-
(often plural) a place visited frequently
an old haunt of hers
-
a place to which animals habitually resort for food, drink, shelter, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hauntsimple
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hauntssimple
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have hauntedperfect
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has hauntedperfect
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am hauntingprogressive
-
are hauntingprogressive
-
is hauntingprogressive
-
have been hauntingperfect progressive
-
has been hauntingperfect progressive
Past
-
hauntedsimple
-
had hauntedperfect
-
was hauntingprogressive
-
were hauntingprogressive
-
had been hauntingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of haunt
1200–50; Middle English haunten < Old French hanter to frequent, probably < Old Norse heimta to lead home, derivative of heim homewards; see home
Explanation
The verb to haunt means to appear as a ghost or some kind of supernatural phenomenon. Ebenezer Scrooge was haunted by the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. The first recorded usage of the word haunt is in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a play filled with supernatural characters running around scaring the knickers off each other. As Shakespeare knew, haunting is at its most effective in the passive voice, because there is much more drama in being haunted than haunting. Another use of the word haunt is as a noun, and it means "a place that is frequented often," like a popular hangout. The gym, a bar, a corner: these are all potential haunts. The dentist, the principal’s office, a busy intersection: these are not.
Vocabulary lists containing haunt
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The current tallest building in West Hollywood is the 31-story Sierra Towers, a luxury condominium building on the city’s western border with Beverly Hills dating to the 1960s that has long been a celebrity haunt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
MILWAUKEE—The painful memories of postseason failure still haunt Aaron Ashby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
It’s a blazingly hot October afternoon at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood, the storied rock-star haunt where suntanned guests are lounging around the pool and being seen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The charges, thrown out on procedural grounds, have continued to haunt him.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
He had become a ghost, a creature that could haunt my nights and see my every move, like the phantasms he told us about when we sat at his feet, listening to his stories.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Like “The Rehearsal,” the question of fact haunts these recreations.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
The experience still haunts her: "I can't sleep. I don't eat properly".
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
She’s tried them everywhere from McDonald’s to Michelin-starred haunts, in tony European hamlets and Midwestern hockey towns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Many of the city's old storied haunts are closed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
"No doubt we'll find him in his usual haunts."
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
The company creates its ranking based on reported ghost sightings and haunted locations, among other criteria.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
She added: "Truth they have lived with, which in some cases has haunted them for years."
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
"He's haunted by the past," added Mirren, an evolution of character which adds "great color" to the story.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
The holding area begins crawling with costumed characters as clowns, bloody chefs and haunted little girls await their turn in the makeup chair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
We had just gained some merchandise and survived the haunted desert.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Scott said he was unsure Saskia would survive and described it as the "most haunting" experience of his life.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
A specter is haunting Europe, and plenty of other places too.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
The trailer closes out with Galadriel’s haunting words, “We are, all of us, on the path to ruin now,” and Sauron forging the One Ring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
This no doubt has special resonance in Spain, where the nation’s fascist past retains a haunting presence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Does he think I’ll tell if he stops haunting me?
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
