ghostly

[ gohst-lee ]

adjective

, ghost·li·er, ghost·li·est.

1. of, characteristic of, or resembling a ghost; phantasmal; spectral.

   Synonyms: ghostlike, wraithlike, unearthly, phantom

2. Literary. spiritual.

ˈghostly

/ ˈɡəʊstlɪ /

adjective

1. of or resembling a ghost; spectral

   a ghostly face appeared at the window

2. suggesting the presence of ghosts; eerie
3. archaic.
   of or relating to the soul or spirit

Derived Forms

• ˈghostliness, noun

Other Words From

• ghostli·ness noun
• un·ghostly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ghostly¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English gāstlīc. See ghost, -ly

Example Sentences

The off-register gambit, a favorite of Saybolt’s, renders the image ghostly while emphasizing its mechanical origins.

From Washington Post

The protagonist is shown summoning a ghostly horse and fighting against mounted enemies.

From Ars Technica

Differentiated mostly by their relative shininess, the two media juxtapose in silhouettes of ghostly beauty.

From Washington Post

All the while, even after preservationists deemed it a landmark, Crummell remained a ghostly, decaying presence.

From Washington Post

Instead, I was treated to just the ghostly haze, which dampened sounds to create a meditative atmosphere.

From Washington Post

A storage building became a ghostly concrete frame lit bright orange.

From The Daily Beast

One month after the operation, Holm arrived in a ghostly Stanleyville posing as a State Department representative.

From The Daily Beast

The Dakota, a co-op residence on the Upper West Side, is historically known for its ghostly figures.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile, Only Lovers Left Alive uses the city as a character as undead and ghostly as its human leads.

From The Daily Beast

To explain this ghostly occurrence, we get a dollop of gossip concerning the recent death of a hated bishop.

From The Daily Beast

A ghostly mate would be no very pleasant bridegroom for a young lady.

From Project Gutenberg

These had a ghostly effect on Yung Pak, and made him cling closely to the side of his tutor.

From Project Gutenberg

We visited it in the fading twilight, and a lonelier, more ghostly place it would be hard to imagine.

From Project Gutenberg

Startled gasps could be heard from the others in the room as they stared at that ghostly face.

From Project Gutenberg

The Japanese matted floor, even in darkness, gives out a sort of ghostly, phosphorescent glow.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• eerie
• ghastly
• scary
• shadowy
• spectral
• supernatural
• weird