Ghost Meaning and Definition
Ghost
Pronunciation
/ɡoʊst/
Part of Speech
Noun or Verb
Definition
A disembodied spirit, often believed to exist after death, but considered not to have a physical body or physical interactions with the living.
Examples
- The haunted house was said to be haunted by a ghost.
- She claimed to have seen a ghost in the mirror.
Synonyms
- Specter
- Phantom
Antonyms
- Living
- Material
Etymology
The word “Ghost” comes from Old English “gast”, meaning “spirit” or “soul”, and is related to the Proto-Germanic word “*gastiz”, meaning “spirit” or “specter”.
Usage Notes
In British English, the word “Ghost” is often used to describe a person who is absent or invisible, as in “I’m a ghost for the rest of the week because I’m on vacation”.
Cultural References
The word “Ghost” has been featured in countless films, books, and TV shows, including “Casper the Friendly Ghost”, “Ghostbusters”, and “Hamlet”.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
“Ghost town” refers to a town that is abandoned or deserted.
“Ghost writer” refers to a writer who is hired to write for someone else, often without receiving credit.
Related Words or Phrases
Spirit
Specter
Phantom
Collocations
“Ghost town” is often used in expressions such as “a ghost town in the 1970s” or “the town became a ghost town after the factory closed”.
Frequency of Use
The word “Ghost” is commonly used in everyday language, especially in contexts related to the supernatural or the idea of something being absent or invisible.
Common Misspellings
Ghost is often misspelled as “Ghoast” or “Ghast”.