haunting

1 of 3

noun

haunt·​ing ˈhȯn-tiŋ How to pronounce haunting (audio)
ˈhän-
plural hauntings
Synonyms of haunting
: 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
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

haunting

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adjective

: 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

haunting

3 of 3

present participle of haunt entry 1

Synonyms of haunting

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Adjective

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Examples of haunting in a Sentence

Adjective the haunting tones of the Highland bagpipes
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Unfortunately, the disembodied feet on my aunt’s staircase were my last spectral sighting and the mournful whistling was my last haunting. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026 The Amityville haunting The Warrens are perhaps best known for the Amityville haunting incidents. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The film also conjures the same terrifying fears as the book with its haunting musical score, set design, camera angles, and the emotional performances of Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 What unfolds is a heartbreaking, at times haunting story about a little boy who strove to become a legend, and the woman who understood his manic, at times reckless drive. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for haunting

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "frequenting a place, dwelling place," from haunten "to frequent, haunt entry 1" + -ing -ing entry 1

Adjective

from present participle of haunt entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of haunting was in the 15th century

Rhymes for haunting

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Browse Nearby Words

haunter
haunting
haunty
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Haunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haunting. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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