plural ghosts
1
: the seat of life or intelligence : soul
give up the ghost
2
: a disembodied soul
especially
: the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness
4
a
: a faint shadowy trace
a ghost of a smile
b
: the least bit
not a ghost of a chance
5
: a false image in a photographic negative or on a television screen caused especially by reflection
6
: one who ghostwrites
7
: a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin
ghosted; ghosting; ghosts
1
: to haunt like a ghost
2
: ghostwrite
ghosted the mayor's autobiography
3
informal
: to cut off all contact with (someone) abruptly and usually without explanation : to subject (someone, such as a former romantic partner) to ghosting see ghosting sense 2
No one wants to be ghosted, mostly because it sucks to admit that the person you gushed about last week is now pretending you don't exist …—
Ellen Scott
Ellen Scott1
a
: to move silently like a ghost
b
: to sail quietly in light winds
2
Synonyms
Examples of ghost in a Sentence
Noun
a house haunted by ghosts
looked for ghosts in the graveyard on Halloween
Verb
She ghosted the mayor's autobiography.
Recent Examples on the WebLauren Penington, The Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2024
Read more The Fed is trying to ‘fight a ghost’ as recession fears mount, investor says
Markets are counting on the Fed to head off recession with sizable interest rate cuts
Everyone is talking about the Sahm recession indicator.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2024
Getting ghosted, getting frustrated, being burned out.
—Analisa Novak, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghost 
Noun
The bicyclists will ride out past the spot where Magnus was struck near 63rd Street , turn around and ride past his ghost bike before heading back to CU Boulder’s Farrand Field for the 12:30 p.m. rally.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2024
Read more The Fed is trying to ‘fight a ghost’ as recession fears mount, investor says
Markets are counting on the Fed to head off recession with sizable interest rate cuts
Everyone is talking about the Sahm recession indicator.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
Applying to job after job without hearing back from recruiters can be frustrating—but experts advise that candidates not be deterred by ghosting and rejection.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2024
Getting ghosted, getting frustrated, being burned out.
—Analisa Novak, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghost
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ghost
Cite this Entry
“Ghost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ghost
noun
: a structure (as a cell or tissue) that does not stain normally because of degenerative changes
specifically
: a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin
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