poltergeist
Americannoun
-
poltergeists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of poltergeist
1840–50; < German Poltergeist, equivalent to polter ( n ) to make noise, knock, rattle + Geist ghost
Explanation
When you're home alone at night and hear a mysterious noise from above, it's much more likely to be mice in your attic than a poltergeist, which is a noisy ghost. You've probably come across poltergeists in scary movies and books, and with any luck you won't encounter one in real life. Stories describe them as particularly disruptive ghosts, known for making noise and throwing things around. The roots of the word poltergeist make perfect sense: poltern means "create a disturbance" in German, and geist means "ghost."
Vocabulary lists containing poltergeist
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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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:
In some scenes, the spirit is a poltergeist nuisance, spilling glasses and knocking down shelves; in others, it’s confoundingly trapped behind some sort of plasma screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025
"It's a very sensible, senior teacher talking about this poltergeist activity," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2023
Here’s what you should know about the mysterious rise and fall of the purported poltergeist.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 19, 2023
Both have reportedly claimed that a Skinwalker ranch poltergeist followed them home.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 27, 2023
We ’ave none of zis ugly armor in ze ’alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, ’e would be expelled like zat.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
The latest is a 512-acre ranch in rural Utah that is supposedly a “hotspot” for UFOs, poltergeists, animal mutilations and “shadow creatures.”
From Scientific American ● Jun. 27, 2023
In New Jersey, sellers, if asked, must disclose known information about any potential poltergeists.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
They are either annoying, like poltergeists, or vengeful, like the girl from “The Ring.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2022
Families who swear their homes have been taken over by spirits, poltergeists, shadow people or demons call upon “The Dead Files” team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2020
The middle chapter looks at belief in supernatural agency—witches, demons, poltergeists.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
