poltergeist

American  

[pohl-ter-gahyst] / ˈpoʊl tərˌgaɪst /

noun

1. a ghost or spirit supposed to manifest its presence by noises, knockings, etc.

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poltergeist British  

/ ˈpɒltəˌɡaɪst /

noun

1. a spirit believed to manifest its presence by rappings and other noises and also by acts of mischief, such as throwing furniture about

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Etymology

Origin of poltergeist

1840–50; < German Poltergeist, equivalent to polter ( n ) to make noise, knock, rattle + Geist ghost

Explanation

When you're home alone at night and hear a mysterious noise from above, it's much more likely to be mice in your attic than a poltergeist, which is a noisy ghost. You've probably come across poltergeists in scary movies and books, and with any luck you won't encounter one in real life. Stories describe them as particularly disruptive ghosts, known for making noise and throwing things around. The roots of the word poltergeist make perfect sense: poltern means "create a disturbance" in German, and geist means "ghost."

Example Sentences

Diego Argoti blurs all kinds of borders — with his manic, wild cooking at Poltergeist inside Button Mash arcade in Echo Park.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2023

Though Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets in history, an absolutely humongous gas giant nicknamed Tadmor was spotted in 1988 by scientists based in British Columbia.

From New York Times • Apr. 2, 2022

That, in turn, led to a successful Radio 4 series The Battersea Poltergeist, before he "came full circle" and finished writing 2:22.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2021

But if you're committed to sitting through these new episodes, it may be helpful to recall Eddie Murphy's classic bit expressing bewilderment over "Poltergeist" and "The Amityville Horror."

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2021

His hair was adorably mussed, his vintage Poltergeist T-shirt hugging his frame nicely.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon