ghost town

noun

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

ghost town

noun

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

ghost town

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.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ghost town¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

It’s a fascinating look at how ghost towns aren’t just dusty relics but can in fact teach us a thing or two about what a vibrant community could be in the 21st century.

From Outside Online

Downtown centers became ghost towns, and revenue dropped sharply for coworking spaces as clients ditched short-term leases.

From Quartz

The sudden absence of these workplace cues presents a challenge for anyone whose office stands like a veritable ghost town due to Covid-19.

From Quartz

Visiting the Smithsonian during the pandemic can feel like passing through a ghost town.

From Washington Post

The pandemic has turned the world’s financial capitals into ghost towns as nervous workers avoid mass commuting.

From Fortune

As Monday turned to Tuesday morning, five hostages had escaped and the Central Business District had turned into a ghost town.

From The Daily Beast

The sun will set in less than an hour and a hubbub will emerge from the ghost-town houses and farms.

From The Daily Beast

And the Ukrainian army, slowly, uncertainly, but ineluctably, is closing in on this besieged ghost-town of a city.

From The Daily Beast

By the afternoon it was a ghost town inside the campus gates.

From The Daily Beast

It's a ghost town now, just a handful of weathered wooden buildings sagging beneath snow.

From The Daily Beast

According to the map, the ghost town was in a valley next to a dry lake bed.

From Project Gutenberg

A ghost town should have ghosts but none walk at the present time.

From Project Gutenberg

She said no more about it just then, as they had reached the old ghost town of Gleeson.

From Project Gutenberg

The tall, well-built cowboy star swung into his saddle and they trotted away between two tumbledown houses of the ghost town.

From Project Gutenberg

The trail led toward the hills back of the ghost town and it was evident that the man they were trailing had rested frequently.

From Project Gutenberg