Synonyms of ghostly
47 similar words
Another word for ghostly is spectral. Other synonyms of ghostly are terrifying, horrific, horrifying, pulse-pounding and horrid.
Synonyms and similar words for ghostly
adjectiveSpooky; frightening.
- affreuxDreadful; disturbing or frightening.
- alarmingCausing apprehension, fear or alarm; frightening.
- spine-tinglingScary, exciting or exhilarating.
- appalling
- awful
- eldritchUnearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.
- butt-clenching informalSynonym of buttock-clenching.
- buttock-clenching informalSuspenseful, frightening; causing anxiety.
- dreadful
- fearful
- flaysome British, dialectalTerrifying; frightful.
- flesh-crawlingSynonym of skin-crawling.
- formidable
- freaky slangScary; frightening.
- frightening
- frightensomeCharacterized by frightening; inducing fear; scary.
- frightful
- ghastly
- grislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying.
- hair-curlingExciting, astonishing, frightening, or horrifying.
- hair-raisingCausing fear or anxiety; scary.
- horrible
- horridCausing horror or dread.
- horrificCausing horror; horrifying.
- horrifyingTending to inspire horror; that horrifies; horrific.
- horripilating
- pulse-poundingThat increases the heartbeat rate, especially as a result of excitement or fear.
- scaring
- scaryCausing fear or anxiety.
- shocking
- skin-crawlingHorrifying or nauseating, so as to cause a creeping sensation in a person's skin.
- terrible
- terrifyingFrightening or intimidating.
- terrorsomeCharacterised or marked by terror; frightful; frightening.
- buggish obsoleteFrightening; like a bugbear.
- dismayful obsoleteTerrifying.
adjectiveMore synonyms
- apparitionalOf or pertaining to an apparition or apparitions.
- ghostishGhostly; spectral.
- ghostlikeSeemingly invisible; as a ghost, similar to a ghost.
- phantomicRelating to phantoms.
- phantomlikeLike a phantom; ghostly.
- phantasmalOf or pertaining to, or having the characteristics of, a phantom (“apparition or ghost”); ghostly, spectral.
- phantasmicLike a phantasm; ghostly, unreal.
- spectralOf, or pertaining to, spectres; ghostly.
- spooky
- wraithlikeResembling a wraith; ghostly.
- wraithyResembling or characteristic of a wraith.
Meaning of ghostly
- adjective Of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.
- adjective Spooky; frightening.
- adjective Relating to the soul; not carnal or secular; spiritual.
ghostly in other languages
Questions about synonyms of ghostly
- What is another word for ghostly?
- Ghostly has 47 synonyms on Word.ws, such as spectral, terrifying, horrific, horrifying, pulse-pounding, horrid, grisly and phantasmal.
- What does ghostly mean?
- Ghostly means of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: ghostly (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of ghostly.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/ghostly. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.