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
Toni Morrison, whose “Beloved” changed me when I first read it as a teen, showed me how a novel can be ghost story, reckoning, testimony and lullaby all at once.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
In a time of twisty, “prestige” supernatural horror, the good, old-fashioned ghost story has fallen by the wayside.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2025
What is your favorite ghost story from TV or film?
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
Cob and the others exchanged shaky smiles, like boys spooked by a ghost story.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
