specter

especially British, spec·tre

[spek-ter]

noun

1. a visible incorporeal spirit, especially one of a terrifying nature; ghost; phantom; apparition.

   Synonyms: shade

2. some object or source of terror or dread.

   the specter of disease or famine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of specter¹

First recorded 1595–1605; from Latin spectrum “appearance, form”; spectrum

Synonym Study

See ghost.

Example Sentences

Even the very wealthy fret over everything from strained family dynamics and outliving their savings to the specter of inflation and the prospect of missing the next big investment trend.

Read more on Barron's

The fears that permeate “Good Boy,” however, increasingly rely on Indy moving about alone – such as peeking around a corner or following the specter of a dog long gone from this world.

Read more on Salon

Worst by far, for the journeyman performer, is the looming specter of AI-generated narration.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Still, the specter of a bear attack, especially by a grizzly, is enough to make most hikers’ blood run cold.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the fear cast by the specters of taxation and modernization that continually threaten Downton, including in “The Grand Finale,” are just as terrifying to its residents as any ax-wielding ghost.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• demon 
• shadow