haunted
Americanadjective
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inhabited or frequented by ghosts.
a haunted castle.
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preoccupied, as with an emotion, memory, or idea; obsessed.
His haunted imagination gave him no peace.
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disturbed; distressed; worried.
Haunted by doubt he again turned to law books on the subject.
adjective
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frequented or visited by ghosts
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(postpositive) obsessed or worried
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of haunted
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at haunt, -ed 2
Explanation
Something that's haunted seems to have ghosts. Visiting a scary haunted house is a great, if terrifying, way to spend Halloween night. Ghosts, or spooky apparitions, are what makes a place haunted. You might truly believe your grandparents' house is haunted, or it might just seem that way because of the scary creaks and groans in the night, the cobwebs in dark corners, and the dim lighting. You can also describe a person as haunted when she's obsessed with or tormented by something: "I was haunted by the memory of my cat killing that poor mouse."
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.
From the moment Ryua first walked into her rental apartment in Tokyo she believed it to be haunted.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 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
But each fall, he transforms into the Captain — the undead host of festivities at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, a haunted attraction held in Long Beach during the Halloween season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
He explains that in his late 30s he was increasingly haunted by “teeming memories” of his youth and its hardships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Ophie, of course, was only half listening, mostly doing what she did every day on the trolley: watching ghosts and the people they haunted.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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