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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have spookedperfect
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has spookedperfect 3rd person singular
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are spookingprogressive
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have been spookingperfect progressive
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am spookingprogressive 1st person singular
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spookingparticiple
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is spookingprogressive 3rd person singular
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spookssingular 3rd person
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has been spookingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had spookedperfect
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were spookingprogressive plural
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had been spookingperfect progressive
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was spookingprogressive singular
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spookedsimple
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spookedparticiple
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.
Blackstone jumped 7.3% as the firm capped withdrawals from its flagship private-credit fund—a move that has tended to spook Wall Street in recent months.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
For example, if artificial intelligence is so effective at increasing productivity that it leads to widespread AI-related layoffs, that could raise the unemployment rate, reduce consumer spending and spook investors.
From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026
The zoo has urged people not to approach Samba or attempt to catch her, warning this could "spook" the animal and push her out of the area.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Such “fiscal dominance” today when capital flows freely could spook investors and sink the dollar.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
“His wife is probably a spook, too,” Gearhart said.
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
