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ghostly

ghostly

40 4.7
Having a pale, quiet look that feels scary
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡoʊstli/
translation icon : fantasmal
  • As the fog rolled in, the trees took on a ghostly appearance in the moonlight.
  • a ghostly presence
  • ghostly white
  • a ghostly shadow

And I think that you can see this like kind of blue ghostly cast on me.

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Examples

  • The sun begins to set, and a ghostly silence envelops the mountain.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The shadows grew long, as the sun kissed the western horizon, casting a ghostly glow over our fearless protagonist.

  • And I think that you can see this like kind of blue ghostly cast on me.

  • We had quite a hike to our next ghostly location.

  • But I think it's this kind of lovely ghostly reminder of his presence and impact.

  • Only ruins remained ghostly under the sea until even these were covered by mud and lost.

  • In the twilight, the room seemed ghostly, a place where no living creatures moved.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Wandering the ghostly gardens, she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches.

  • Dim yellow mist curled about her; she was a ghostly shadow, haloed in smoke.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A new neutrino observatory has begun looking for the ghostly particles from the vantage of Earth's South Pole.

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

spooky
vsghostly
96 3.2

Strange and frightening in a way that makes you feel nervous, like a ghost

is less about fear and more about simple spiritlike appearance
eerie
vsghostly
91 5.1

A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby

is more neutral, suggesting resemblance without fear or unease
spiritual
vsghostly
  • Literature
28 7.0

Appearing like a ghost

is narrower, describing appearance resembling a spirit rather than religious sense
spectral
vsghostly
  • Literature
5 7.5

Looking like a ghost and causing fear

focuses more on general spiritlike appearance than poetic otherworldliness
ghostlike
vsghostly
1 6.5

Having a pale, thin, and quiet appearance that feels spooky

is broader, suggesting a spiritlike quality rather than an exact likeness
phantasmal
vsghostly
  • Literature
1 9.9

Looking like a ghost and seeming unreal

leans toward literal spirit appearance rather than dreamlike illusion
apparitional
vsghostly
  • Literature
1 9.9

Having the look or feel of a ghost

covers such visible appearances but also broader spiritlike qualities
wraithlike
vsghostly
1 9.9

Having a thin, ghostlike appearance

is more general and not only about thin shadowy looks
phantomlike
vsghostly
7.8

Appears like a ghost, not solid or easy to see

stresses general spirit resemblance rather than specific mystery
phantasmic
vsghostly
  • Literature
9.7

Having a quality like a dream or a ghost that seems unreal

is more about actual spirit resemblance instead of dreamy feeling
phantasmatic
vsghostly
  • Literature
9.9

Being unreal and like a dream

focuses on actual spiritlike appearance, not merely imaginative effects

How Ghostlike

ghostly
40 4.7
to wan
  • Archaic
417 8.6
pale
291 1.0

Surface Forms

ghostly positive
ghostlier comparative
ghostliest superlative

Morphology

ghostly = ghost (transparent) = ghost + ly

Formed by the productive adjectival suffix '-ly' from the noun 'ghost', meaning 'having qualities of or resembling a ghost'.

Etymology

The word ghostly comes from the old English word ghost, which meant 'spirit' or 'soul', plus the ending -ly that turns a noun into a description. So, ghostly means 'like a ghost', which is why we use it for things that seem pale, quiet, or strange.