ghost town

American  

noun

1. a town permanently abandoned by its inhabitants, as because of a business decline or because a nearby mine has been worked out.

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ghost town British  

noun

1. a deserted town, esp one in the western US that was formerly a boom town

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ghost town Cultural  

1. A town, especially a boomtown in the old American West, that has been completely abandoned and deserted: “If you drive through the desert, you can still see the main street of Dry Gulch, a ghost town.”

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ghost town Idioms  

1. A once thriving town that has been completely abandoned, as in Many of the old mining communities are ghost towns now. This idiom implies that there are no living people left in town. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of ghost town

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

“Camden would be a ghost town if not for aerospace and defense,” said Silliman, who oversees Ouachita County’s economic development.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Wael el-Nahas, an economist, said the early closures had turned Cairo into a "ghost town", running counter to the city's distinct social character and threatening its vital tourism industry.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

It wouldn’t be fair to call it a ghost town now, exactly.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

“Instead of a ghost town of property, these campuses could be reused for intergenerational connection and collaboration.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The mission is a ghost town now, and the agricultural station also nearly deserted.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver