poltergeist

noun

ˈpōl-tər-ˌgīst How to pronounce poltergeist (audio)
Definition of poltergeistnext
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of poltergeist But the ghosts seem to focus on Eleanor, who may have telekinetic powers and who may have had experiences with a poltergeist as a child. — Literary Hub, 26 May 2026 The cupboards open and shut on their own, as if a poltergeist is rummaging through the house. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Mar. 2026 Some would argue that Presence is more drama with supernatural elements than horror, but this is a haunted-house movie filmed from the perspective of a poltergeist. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025 The Warrens are also famous for their investigation of a haunted house in Amityville, NY, and the 1980s Connecticut poltergeist case based on a Warren case, in which demonic possession was used unsuccessfully as a defense in a murder trial. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
  1. ghost
  2. apparition
  3. spirit
Noun
  • Spirit Airlines' ghost planes The problems with young retirements predate Spirit's collapse.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In 2026, the gemlike Brooklyn venue lent Kushner’s project a magical quality, turning the audience into ghosts from the future, eavesdropping on the fall of the Weimar Republic but unable to intervene.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • The location was a former sugarcane plantation notorious for cruelty, and accounts of apparitions in the water are a reminder of this history.
    — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • After the vocal chorus, Astaire sees an apparition—Pan, costumed in Halloween drag.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparition
Noun
  • In the spirit of B-movie icons like Roger Corman, the film was shot in four days for $40,000 in order to celebrate Chris LaMartina’s 40th birthday.
    — William Earl, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In that spirit, three articles offering guidance across the course of a woman’s life were published Monday in Circulation.
    — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirit

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Cite this Entry

“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poltergeist

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poltergeist

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