haunting

[hawn-ting, hahn-]

See more synonyms for haunting on Thesaurus.com

adjective

remaining in the consciousness; not quickly forgotten: haunting music; haunting memories.

noun

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

Origin of haunting

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at haunt, -ing², -ing¹

Related formshaunt·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hauntingly

Contemporary Examples

Four women have come forward over the last five years with hauntingly similar stories alleging harassment.
Supermodels’ Anita Hill Problem
Jennifer Sky
March 28, 2014
“You know you had a good hit when you hear the guy grunt,” Waters says, hauntingly, in an old interview featured in Head Games.
Steve James and Christopher Nowinski Talk the New Doc ‘Head Games’
Kevin Fallon
September 22, 2012
Those lucky enough to have encountered a few shavings of fresh white truffle know they are amazingly, hauntingly delicious.
The Great Truffle-Market Crash of '09
Katie Workman
September 1, 2009
OK, then can I assume Alice will be greeting some hauntingly familiar faces on visiting day if The Farm is picked up?
Last of the Red-Hot Lesbians
Gail Eisenberg
March 5, 2009

Historical Examples

Of all the places I had visited, this island was the most hauntingly lonely.
Tales of Fishes
Zane Grey
Her look of meek despair was hauntingly sad with Anthony on his way home.
Rhoda Fleming, Complete
George Meredith
One could not have named the sweetness that hovered in it—hauntingly.
Unfinished Portraits
Jennette Lee
There is something wildly, hauntingly interesting in them; one loves and pities her at the first glance.
Helen and Arthur
Caroline Lee Hentz
She was hauntingly sure that in like circumstances she would be weak enough to take her trouble toa man like Gordon, for instance.
Langford of the Three Bars
Kate Boyles

British Dictionary definitions for hauntingly

haunting

adjective

(of memories) poignant or persistent
poignantly sentimental; enchantingly or eerily evocative

Derived Formshauntingly, adverb

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

haunting

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}haunting

Examples from the Web for hauntingly

Contemporary Examples

Four women have come forward over the last five years with hauntingly similar stories alleging harassment.

“You know you had a good hit when you hear the guy grunt,” Waters says, hauntingly, in an old interview featured in Head Games.

Those lucky enough to have encountered a few shavings of fresh white truffle know they are amazingly, hauntingly delicious.

OK, then can I assume Alice will be greeting some hauntingly familiar faces on visiting day if The Farm is picked up?

Historical Examples

Of all the places I had visited, this island was the most hauntingly lonely.

Her look of meek despair was hauntingly sad with Anthony on his way home.

One could not have named the sweetness that hovered in it—hauntingly.

There is something wildly, hauntingly interesting in them; one loves and pities her at the first glance.

She was hauntingly sure that in like circumstances she would be weak enough to take her trouble toa man like Gordon, for instance.

haunting

Origin of haunting