plural hauntings
: an act of haunting
especially
: visitation or inhabitation by a ghost
… its early history is replete with drama: duels, murders, shipwrecks, … even ghostly hauntings. —
Sally Gibson
Sally Gibson When asked about hauntings on Tuesday's tour, [Albert] Walavich said he knew he would get a question about ghosts on Halloween, but he doesn't believe any haunt the grounds. —Taylor Hartz
Taylor Hartz
: having qualities (such as sadness or beauty) that linger in the memory : not easily forgotten
a haunting melody
haunting images
… pale, branchless tree trunks with a haunting, Georgia O'Keeffe quality …—Susannah Master
Susannah Masterhaunting
3 of 3present participle of haunt entry 1
Examples of haunting in a Sentence
Adjective
the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 July 2025
The Conjuring, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, dramatized an account of the Perron family haunting, which took place in Rhode Island in 1971.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 16 July 2025
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2025
The video plays clips of the Weeknd singing the haunting lyrics in front of several cement backdrops that show the star stuck in a sort of purgatory.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Gone were the hauntings of the past and the idealized pop star of the present that dominated the last few hours; here was Gaga, as bare as can be, taking one last bow to roaring applause.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 July 2025
The Conjuring, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, dramatized an account of the Perron family haunting, which took place in Rhode Island in 1971.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 16 July 2025
Adjective
The sobering and haunting experience, MacDonald said, has sparked an interest in how the search for missing persons can be improved.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2025
The video plays clips of the Weeknd singing the haunting lyrics in front of several cement backdrops that show the star stuck in a sort of purgatory.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for haunting
Cite this Entry
“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haunting. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share