adjective
-
ghostly or eerie
a spooky house
-
resembling or appropriate to a ghost
-
easily frightened; highly strung
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spooky
Explanation
Spooky things make a shiver go down your spine—they're scary or creepy. A movie's spooky music might be enough to make you cover your eyes in fear. This informal adjective is perfect for talking about things that make you feel afraid or deeply uneasy. Haunted houses are spooky, and the sound of quiet footsteps crunching through the leaves outside your tent at night are spooky too—at least until your brother yells, "Boo!" You can also use spooky to mean "easily spooked," like a nervous horse that jumps at the slightest sound.
Vocabulary lists containing spooky
October Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Strange
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Strange
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But I am hearing from people who live in less resourced parts of the country, smaller states with smaller governments, like Vermont, who are saying this is spooky.
From Slate • May 21, 2026
Fittingly, Rhys is currently portraying the mayor of a small island town where spooky, supernatural things keep happening on Apple TV’s comedy-horror series “Widow’s Bay.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
And while the stories of Poe lend themselves to the Halloween season, spooky events increasingly occur year round.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
A spooky trend perhaps, especially as one of those was Friday the 13th.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
Flying in space was spooky enough, and I had been nervous before Gemini 10.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
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.
