- present participle of haunt.
haunting
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
(of memories) poignant or persistent
-
poignantly sentimental; enchantingly or eerily evocative
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of haunting
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at haunt, -ing 2, -ing 1
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.
Slender but flecked with magical touches, “Romería” is so gentle it never quite qualifies as haunting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
That made for a haunting contrast with the films of Oskar Fischinger, his two shorts all vibrant colors moving in abstract patterns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
The Gwangju uprising forms the haunting backdrop to Nobel laureate Han Kang's novel Human Acts.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Croatian band Lelek also wore face paint, with symbols representing the resistance of Catholic women during the Ottoman Empire, a topic they addressed with haunting folkloric harmonies on their song Andromeda.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
I was all geared up, bouncing around my room, trying to avoid contact with any heavy, haunting thoughts.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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.
