adjective
-
of or resembling a ghost; spectral
a ghostly face appeared at the window
-
suggesting the presence of ghosts; eerie
-
archaic of or relating to the soul or spirit
Other Word Forms
- ghostliness noun
- unghostly adjective
Etymology
Origin of ghostly
before 900; Middle English; Old English gāstlīc. See ghost, -ly
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.
And Kate Bush’s immortal 1978 single, with its swooping, operatic drama, interpretive dance–filled video and ghostly narrator only strengthened the book’s rep as a tale of exquisitely tortured love.
From Salon
Because of this, they are better able to withstand gravitational tidal disruption, making them dependable tracers of faint and ghostly galaxies like CDG-2.
From Science Daily
The howl and whine of the opening few bars of “Chains of Love” conjure images of the ghostly moors, before transforming into a catchy midtempo pop number.
One dim lightbulb glowed overhead, casting ghostly shadows on everyone’s face.
From Literature
There are local legends of a ghostly Dutchman carrying a sack wandering the northern parts of the island.
From BBC
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.
