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.
He has also appeared as a contestant on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Most Haunted, Hollyoaks and Supermarket Sweep.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Those interested in booking their nuptials at the Haunted Mansion can find more information at Disneyweddings.com.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
Movie characters have been part of the parks since Disneyland opened, but Imagineering also has a rich history of creating original stories in attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
Events such as the Salem Haunted Happenings run throughout the fall and include festivals, parades, street vendors, public activities and even appearances by the town’s resident witches of the modern age.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025
The younger Swanburne girls had lived in terror of her bloodcurdling scream, which was put to good use every autumn at Heathcote’s annual Haunted Hay Maze festival.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
