spectral

adjective

Definition of spectralnext
as in haunting
of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.

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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 spectral Each parfum has a spectral musk accord that’s a combination of safe synthetic and naturally occurring musks that create unique sensations. — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 16 June 2026 The spectral evidence also indicates DJ was only partially altered by water, which Marchi says tells us something about its history. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 June 2026 The visual intersperses footage from a trip the pair took to Iceland with clips of their Upstate New York home, a fitting backdrop to Sprague’s spectral vocals and wandering synth arcs. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026 The administration's other telescopic projects include SPHEREx, which launched in 2025 with the goal of conducting a widespread infrared spectral survey of the sky, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in 2021 and now orbits the sun with a distance of one million miles from Earth. — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
  1. haunting
  2. eerie
  3. creepy
  4. phantom
  5. ghostly
  6. weird
  7. supernatural
Adjective
  • The couple made their relationship public in 2008 and went on to appear together in Kelly Reichardt's haunting neo-Western Meek's Cutoff (2010).
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
  • Her mainstream breakthrough — and legacy-making performance — arrived with a haunting performance as stalker superfan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026
Definition of haunting
Adjective
  • Their courage quickly wavers in the face of the location’s eerie atmosphere and the deafening sound of cicadas.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
  • But here, its potential for ugly, alien tones is turned up to 11, an eerie buzz throbbing threateningly beneath the beats.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
Definition of eerie
Adjective
  • Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
  • The voice in the trailer is creepy and not in the way that Wonka is meant to be creepy.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Definition of creepy
Adjective
  • Maddock said the state should see a $2 million increase to the school aid budget and cuts to what Republicans call phantom jobs or phantom employees, positions that are budgeted for but have remained unfilled.
    — Elle Meyers, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Other times, a phantom string quartet warmed up.
    — Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
Definition of phantom
Adjective
  • Things rapidly spiral out of control for the quartet as a waking nightmare, filled with ghostly figures and sudden disappearances, unfolds.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
  • Loop adds transparency to moving objects between plays, for a ghostly look.
    — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
Definition of ghostly
Adjective
  • As the two form a close bond, Laila discovers there's some weird business going on within the house that threatens both of them.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Confessions kicked off one of the weirdest eras in a career that has never been stingy with weirdness.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Paul Dano is set to star opposite Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley in the remake of 1981 supernatural thriller Possession coming together at Paramount, Deadline can confirm.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 30 June 2026
Definition of supernatural

Browse Nearby Words

spectra
spectral
spectrum
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Cite this Entry

“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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