noun
the spirit of a dead person, believed to appear to living people
I saw a ghost in the old house.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Common phrases & grammar
see a ghost · believe in ghosts · haunted by a ghost
see + a ghost
a ghost + in + place
American English
How to pronounce ghost
noun · verbB1Common word
GOHST
/goʊst̚/
One syllable.
the spirit of a dead person, believed to appear to living people
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
verbinformal
to suddenly stop replying to someone and avoid contact, usually without saying why
She ghosted me after our second date.
He ghosted all his friends.
Good to know
This meaning is informal and is common when talking about dating, friendships, and online messages.
Common phrases & grammar
ghost someone · get ghosted · ghost a date
ghost + someone
someone + gets + ghosted
verbless common
to write a book, speech, or other text for another person who is named as the author
She ghosted a memoir for a famous actor.
He ghosted speeches for the mayor.
Common phrases & grammar
ghost a memoir · ghost a speech
ghost + a book, speech, or article
ghost + for + someone
Useful expressions
a story about a ghost or ghosts
I love reading ghost stories.
a town with very few people living in it
The old mining town is now a ghost town.
to stop working or to die
My old printer finally gave up the ghost.