haunted
Americanadjective
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inhabited or frequented by ghosts.
a haunted castle.
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preoccupied, as with an emotion, memory, or idea; obsessed.
His haunted imagination gave him no peace.
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disturbed; distressed; worried.
Haunted by doubt he again turned to law books on the subject.
adjective
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frequented or visited by ghosts
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(postpositive) obsessed or worried
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of haunted
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at haunt, -ed 2
Explanation
Something that's haunted seems to have ghosts. Visiting a scary haunted house is a great, if terrifying, way to spend Halloween night. Ghosts, or spooky apparitions, are what makes a place haunted. You might truly believe your grandparents' house is haunted, or it might just seem that way because of the scary creaks and groans in the night, the cobwebs in dark corners, and the dim lighting. You can also describe a person as haunted when she's obsessed with or tormented by something: "I was haunted by the memory of my cat killing that poor mouse."
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.
Miltenberg says he is still haunted by the lasting damage some of his clients suffered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
As the reporter tries to arrange a meeting between the Iraqi family and the haunted Marine, the movie sticks to character rather than conjuring up Hollywood-style plot complications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Antonelli's first season in F1 was haunted by an incident that happened the first time he drove on a grand prix weekend.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
You leave haunted by the characters’ bad choices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
I'm not sure what haunted means, but I don't ask, because I'm sure it's nothing good from the way she says it.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
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.
