haunt

[hawnt, hahnt, hant]

verb (used with object)

1. to visit habitually or appear to frequently as a spirit or ghost.

   to haunt a house; to haunt a person.

2. to recur persistently to the consciousness of; remain with.

   Memories of love haunted him.

3. to visit frequently; go to often.

   He haunted the galleries and bars that the artists went to.

   Synonyms: frequent

4. to frequent the company of; be often with.

   He haunted famous men, hoping to gain celebrity for himself.

5. to disturb or distress; cause to have anxiety; trouble; worry.

   His youthful escapades came back to haunt him.

   Synonyms: plague, vex, beset, obsess

verb (used without object)

1. to reappear continually as a spirit or ghost.

2. to visit habitually or regularly.

3. to remain persistently; loiter; stay; linger.

noun

1. Often haunts. a place frequently visited.

   to return to one's old haunts.

2. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. and North England.,  a ghost.

haunt

/ hɔːnt /

verb

1. to visit (a person or place) in the form of a ghost

2. (tr) to intrude upon or recur to (the memory, thoughts, etc)

   he was haunted by the fear of insanity

3. to visit (a place) frequently

4. to associate with (someone) frequently

noun

1. (often plural) a place visited frequently

   an old haunt of hers

2. a place to which animals habitually resort for food, drink, shelter, etc

Other Word Forms

• haunter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of haunt¹

1200–50; Middle English haunten < Old French hanter to frequent, probably < Old Norse heimta to lead home, derivative of heim homewards; home

Word History and Origins

Origin of haunt¹

C13: from Old French hanter, of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse heimta to bring home, Old English hāmettan to give a home to; see _home

Example Sentences

The feud stirred up a larger conversation on what exactly is worth protecting in Southern California, a region loaded with architectural marvels and Old Hollywood haunts swirling with celebrity legend and gossip.

From Los Angeles Times

Addressing the inquiry, child M's mother said she was "haunted" by a decision to put a load of washing on before heading to collect her child and her child's friend from the dance studio.

From BBC

"Tariffs are a bad policy and eventually are going to come home to haunt us."

From BBC

“The sound of her humiliating cackle still haunts me,” Morticia tells her daughter, recounting the experience of her own mom, Hester, reading one of her earlier manuscripts and shaming her for it.

From Salon

A lifelong devotee of theme parks and coasters, Slash has been closely aligned with Halloween Horror Nights since 2014, when he first began scoring music for its haunted houses.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• annoy 
• bedevil 
• beset 
• besiege 
• frighten 
• hound 
• inhabit 
• obsess 
• permeate 
• pervade 
• plague 
• terrify 
• terrorize 
• torment 
• trouble 
• weigh on 
• worry