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Showing results for haunting. Search instead for hauntingly.
Synonyms

haunting

American  
[hawn-ting, hahn-] / ˈhɔn tɪŋ, ˈhɑn- /

adjective

  1. remaining in the consciousness; not quickly forgotten.

    haunting music; haunting memories.

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that haunts; visitation.

haunting British  
/ ˈhɔːntɪŋ /

adjective

  1. (of memories) poignant or persistent

  2. poignantly sentimental; enchantingly or eerily evocative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hauntingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of haunting

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; 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.

Just adjacent to the facility, still in operation today, is a haunting reminder of the past: the graves of more than 200 children who died in state custody.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

A concern haunting investors is that Apple appears to be easing into generative AI while rivals Google, Microsoft and OpenAI race ahead.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

But Ducournau adds a haunting new touch, depicting the infected as developing a silvery rash across their skin before eventually morphing into porcelain-like statues as they die.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

It was melodic and haunting, even as the world waited for the “shock and awe” to begin.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

The haunting notes didn’t resemble an organ, a piano, a fiddle, or any instrument of this world.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

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.