spook
Americannoun
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Slang. a ghostwriter.
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Slang. an eccentric person.
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Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.
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Slang. an espionage agent; spy.
verb (used with object)
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to haunt; inhabit or appear in or to as a ghost or specter.
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Informal. to frighten; scare.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a ghost or a person suggestive of this
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a spy
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slang any pale or colourless alcoholic spirit
spook and diesel
verb
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to frighten
to spook horses
to spook a person
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(of a ghost) to haunt
Sensitive Note
When referring to a black person, the term spook dates back to the 1940s. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as highly insulting. Black pilots who trained at Tuskegee Institute during World War II were called the Spookwaffe. Some sources say that black pilots reclaimed this derogatory nickname as a self-referential term of pride.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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spooksimple
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spookssimple
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have spookedperfect
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has spookedperfect
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am spookingprogressive
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are spookingprogressive
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is spookingprogressive
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have been spookingperfect progressive
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has been spookingperfect progressive
Past
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spookedsimple
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had spookedperfect
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was spookingprogressive
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were spookingprogressive
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had been spookingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spook
An Americanism first recorded in 1795–1805; from Dutch; cognate with German Spuk
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.
The mere notion that these companies are no longer increasing their AI spending would be enough to spook the markets, Sosnick said.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
In his own moment of terror, Gunn acted like a man jumping out of a cupboard trying to spook somebody.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
They would also have to gain comfort that a restructuring wouldn’t spook MBS investors, many of whom have warned against ending the conservatorship and said such a move would force mortgage rates higher.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
Such conditions can spook investors ahead of an IPO and lead to delays or downsized offerings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
The sacks under his eyes turned hollow and black, and he padded through the shadows fruitlessly like a ubiquitous spook.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
