GHOST | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

Looking for the meaning of the word GHOST in English for both noun and verb forms from the Oxford Dictionary? Below, you can explore all possible meanings and definitions of GHOST with sentence examples. You can also use the “AUDIO PRONUNCIATION” track to check the correct pronunciation in British English.

Word: Ghost

Speech Type: Noun

Etymology:

Old English gāst (in the sense ‘spirit, soul’), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch geest and German Geist. The gh- spelling occurs first in Caxton, probably influenced by Flemish gheest

Audio Pronunciation:

Phonetic Spelling: ɡəʊst

Dialects: British English

Definition:

an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image

Short Definition:

apparition of dead person

Examples:

the building is haunted by the ghost of a monk
a ghost ship
the ghosts of past deeds

Word: Ghost

Speech Type: Verb

Audio Pronunciation:

Phonetic Spelling: ɡəʊst

Dialects: British English

Definition:

act as ghostwriter of (a work)

Short Definition:

act as ghost writer of

Examples:

his memoirs were smoothly ghosted by a journalist

Definition:

glide smoothly and effortlessly

Short Definition:

glide smoothly

Examples:

they ghosted up the river

Definition:

end a personal relationship with (someone) by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication

Short Definition:

end relationship with someone by withdrawing from communication

Examples:

I didn't want to ghost her, so we ended up having ‘the talk’ and it was horrible
being ghosted is one of the toughest ways to be dumped
people who ghost are primarily focused on avoiding their own emotional discomfort