- 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.
Haunting notes of music, lines of poetry and Shakespearean verses cascade out of him.
From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025
His most recent novel is “The Haunting of H.G. Wells.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025
The creator of The Haunting of Hill House is taking a stab at Edgar Allan Poe.
From Slate • Oct. 11, 2023
Helmed by Branagh, “A Haunting in Venice” sees the filmmaker reprise his role as mustachioed detective Hercule Poirot, back on the case after a chilling seance turns deadly at a Venetian Palazzo.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2023
"That's he—-the Man of the Haunting Face!" came from Tom Reade in a hoarse whisper.
From The High School Boys' Fishing Trip by Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
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.
