The noun is derived from Middle English gost, from Old English gāst, gǣst (“breath, spirit, soul, ghost”) (compare modern English Holy Ghost), from Proto-West Germanic *gaist, from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéysdos, from *ǵʰéysd- (“anger, agitation”).
The h in the spelling appears in the Prologue to William Caxton’s Royal Book, printed in 1484, in a reference to the “Holy Ghoost”. It was likely influenced by Middle Dutch gheest, a common variant of geest. Both Caxton and his assistant Wynkyn de Worde had connections to the Low Countries. Doublet of geist.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun. The verb gained prominence in the 2010s.
cognates
* Danish gast (“ghost”), gejst (“enthusiasm”)
* Dutch geest (“ghost, spirit”)
* German Geist (“ghost, spirit”)
* Luxembourgish Geescht (“ghost, spirit, spectre, phantom”)
* Saterland Frisian Gäist, Jeest (“ghost, spirit”)
* Scots gaist, ghaist (“ghost”)
* Swedish gast (“ghost”)
* Vilamovian gȧjst (“ghost, spirit”)
* West Frisian geast (“ghost, spirit”)
* Yiddish גײַסט (gayst, “ghost, spirit”)
* Yola gaast (“ghost”)
Meanings
(not-comparable, qualifier:African-American Vernacular, slang) In the form be ghost: not present or involved; absent, gone.
But I don't see no competition in the game and I'm pissing on it
If it ain't about the family, then I'm ghost and that's a promise 2019, “Going Through It” (track 6), in Ignorance Is Bliss, performed by Skepta:
Thug held up a middle finger. "A'ight y'all. I'm ghost." 2007, Abiola Abrams, Dare, page 296:
The noun is derived from Middle English gost, from Old English gāst, gǣst (“breath, spirit, soul, ghost”) (compare modern English Holy Ghost), from Proto-West Germanic *gaist, from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéysdos, from *ǵʰéysd- (“anger, agitation”).
The h in the spelling appears in the Prologue to William Caxton’s Royal Book, printed in 1484, in a reference to the “Holy Ghoost”. It was likely influenced by Middle Dutch gheest, a common variant of geest. Both Caxton and his assistant Wynkyn de Worde had connections to the Low Countries. Doublet of geist.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun. The verb gained prominence in the 2010s.
cognates
* Danish gast (“ghost”), gejst (“enthusiasm”)
* Dutch geest (“ghost, spirit”)
* German Geist (“ghost, spirit”)
* Luxembourgish Geescht (“ghost, spirit, spectre, phantom”)
* Saterland Frisian Gäist, Jeest (“ghost, spirit”)
* Scots gaist, ghaist (“ghost”)
* Swedish gast (“ghost”)
* Vilamovian gȧjst (“ghost, spirit”)
* West Frisian geast (“ghost, spirit”)
* Yiddish גײַסט (gayst, “ghost, spirit”)
* Yola gaast (“ghost”)
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.
For a moment I was puzzled, but presently, of course, it struck me that he must have seen Ayesha, wrapped in her grave-like garment, and been deceived by the extraordinary undulating smoothness of her walk into a belief that she was a white ghost gliding towards him. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
He believes in ghosts.
The mighty ghosts of our great Harries rose. 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):
Everyone believed that the ghost of an old lady haunted the crypt.
I thought that I had died in sleep/And was a blessed ghost 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere:
Hepaticology, outside the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, still lies deep in the shadow cast by that ultimate "closet taxonomist," Franz Stephani—a ghost whose shadow falls over us all. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
(archaic, countable, literary, uncountable) A spirit; a human soul.
Enlightening the eyes and a taste for hope, emotions are felt from an inward ghost. 2013, Kenneth Palmer, Just Thoughts: Looking at Man's Whole Self, page 20:
hen gins her grieued ghost thus to lament and mourne. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 31:
It also required four years of finding your inner ghost and becoming one with it. The inner ghost is within every person who is still alive. 2017, Anastasia Burton, You and I, in a Thousand Moons:
If I thought that “I” referred to my inner ghost, I wouldn't be worried because a bullet can't hurt a ghost, and equally there would be no point in your shooting. 2014, Neville Moray, Science, Cells and Souls: An Introduction to Human Nature:
(broadly, countable, uncountable) Any faint shadowy semblance; an unsubstantial image.
Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them. 2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2013, pages 206–7:
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. 1845 February, — Quarles [pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe], “The Raven”, in The American Review, volume I, number II, New York, N.Y.; London: Wiley & Putnam, […], →OCLC:
the ghost of an idea
not a ghost of a chance
Armistead Maupin's novels reflect more awareness of, and affection for, the texture of real life than As If After Sex. Maupin's characters may get into cartoonlike adventures, but they are real people. Torchia's characters do drearily familiar things, but they are ghosts. 1984 December 29, Duncan Mitchel, “The Cult of Gay Machismo”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 25, page 14:
[…] She barely answers his questions. She’s a ghost of herself. And then Hot Pie gives us the key to Arya’s whole thing this season so far: She didn’t know that Jon had defeated the Boltons. 2017 July 23, Brandon Nowalk, “The great game begins with a bang on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
(countable, uncountable) A false image, for example in a photographic print or negative, or on a television screen or radar display, or in a telescope, caused by poor or double reception or reflection (from a lens or screen).
There was less flicker, jitter was nonexistent, and the screen pattern had been rendered far more viewworthy, with ghosts being virtually suppressed. 2007, Albert Abramson, The History of Television, 1942 to 2000, page 60:
(countable, qualifier:cleaning, slang, uncountable) A faint image that remains after an attempt to remove graffiti.
Regardless of GRM used, graffiti ghosts persist. Protect cladding with surface coating or replace with graffiti resistant paint or laminate. 1992, M. J. Whitford, Getting Rid of Graffiti, Routledge, →ISBN, page 45:
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of ghostwriter.
I’ve written both as a ghost for experts and under my name.
(countable, uncountable) A nonexistent person invented to obtain some (typically fraudulent) benefit.
Before filling out this form, please visit the Pennsic Pre-Registration Page to create your account and enter your campers and ghosts [nonexistent campers one pays for to legitimately increase the size of one's allotted camping space]. 2023, Barony of Ponte Alto, Society for Creative Anachronism, Ponte Alto Pennsic Encampment 2023 - Barony Registration
1,500 secondary schools in Jiangxi found 125 cases of illegally collected Ghosts and Absentees fees worth $2 million. 2008, The Asia-Pacific Human Development Report, page 63:
Some health systems are plagued by "ghost" and "absent" workers. Ghost workers are nonexistent, listed in the payroll, and paid, a clear sign of corruption. 2004, Joint Learning Initiative, Global Equity Initiative, Human Resources for Health: Overcoming the Crisis, page 76:
(countable, uncountable) A dead person whose identity is stolen by another (see ghosting).
(Internet, countable, uncountable) An unresponsive user on IRC, resulting from the user's client disconnecting without notifying the server.
This will let you open a query with NickServ again so you can remove your “ghost” from the server: […] 2004, Paul Mutton, IRC Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools, page 31:
(countable, uncountable) A copy of a file or record.
(countable, uncountable) An understudy.
(countable, uncountable) A covert (and deniable) agent.
(countable, uncountable) An opponent in a racing game that follows a previously recorded route, allowing players to compete against previous best times.
This is also the case for some racing games (Super Mario Kart is a good example) that allow you to compete against your ghosts, which are precise recordings of your performance. 2012, Keith Burgun, Game Design Theory: A New Philosophy for Understanding Games:
(countable, uncountable) Someone whose identity cannot be established because there are no records of such a person.
"[…]no record of a Robert, or Bobby, Maclain that fits our man's description," Kuzbec said. "No social, no driver's license, no address, no military service record. He's a ghost." Kirov did find that interesting. 2014 August 19, Michael Sloan, The Equalizer: A Novel, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 156:
"He's a ghost. No record of any kind, anywhere. I got nothing when I did a trace. I'm thinking he was either erased or he's something we don't know about." Nyk rubbed at his jaw. "If he was erased, Syn, he'd have a record[…]" 2015 November 3, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Born of Betrayal: The League: Nemesis Rising, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN:
(countable, qualifier:quantum mechanics, uncountable) An unphysical state in a gauge theory.
Soon after, the proof of the No-Ghost Theorem, establishing that the DRM has no ghosts if d ≤ 26, was achieved independently by Brower (1972) and by Goddard and Thorn (1972). 2019, Radin Dardashti, Richard Dawid, Karim Thébault, Why Trust a Theory?, page 180:
The proof is well known, and independent of the metric, but to make certain we prove it here also for the case when the state vector system of an operator contains multipole^([sic]) ghosts. 1966, Kàzmèr L. Nagy, State Vector Spaces with Indefinite Metric in Quantum Field Theory, page 14:
(attributive, countable, uncountable) A formerly nonexistent character that was at some point mistakenly encoded into a character set standard, which might have since become used opportunistically for some genuine purpose.
彁 is a ghost character from the Japanese JIS X 0208 character set.
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis) Ellipsis of ghost pepper.
Fresh chili has a glossy smooth skin like a bell pepper...unless you're in scorching territory, with the likes of Ghosts or Reapers (their name should give the game away), where the skin looks [wrinkled]. 2022 July 5, Alice Zaslavsky, In Praise of Veg: The Ultimate Cookbook for Vegetable Lovers, Appetite by Random House, →ISBN:
Spicy or mild, lovely bells or scary ghosts, peppers belong in your garden. Not only are they delicious, they add a gorgeous pop of color to vegetable gardens. When starting pepper seeds, consider using a heat mat. 2018 October 2, Julie Thompson-Adolf, Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers for Your Garden, Cool Springs Press, →ISBN, page 68:
(capitalized, often, uncountable) A game in which players take turns to add a letter to a possible word, trying not to complete a word.
[…]played ghost, a word game. For quite a while, I spent most of my time at their house. I can't remember why I lived with them or exactly where my mother and my older brothers, Ben and John, were after Dad left.[…] 2018 June 12, Edward M. Hallowell, Because I Come from a Crazy Family: The Making of a Psychiatrist, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN, page 26:
Another game in which your phonotactic instincts are brought to bear is "Ghost," a good car game for spelling geeks. In Ghost, players take turns adding a letter to a string of letters. The letter added must create the beginning of a correctly spelled word, but you don't want to add a letter which will complete[…] 2017 November 1, Heidi Harley, English Words: A Linguistic Introduction, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:
GHOST. This is a spelling game. A person gives a letter, […] his next neighbor must think of a word beginning with this letter, and then say the second letter, […] 1897, Emma J. Gray, Fun for the Household: A Book of Games, page 110:
[…]played ghost, which was a popular word game at that time. Ghost was a very convenient game since it required no props, lights, or space. Each player must add a letter to the continuous formation of a word supplied by the previous player[…] 2013 July 17, Milton Pashcow, Sicilian Escapade: A Devil in Eden, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 21:
[…]word is, you win the round. But be warned : if she does have a real word in mind, you lose. Bluffing[:] It's possible to bluff in Ghost. For example, you can pretend to add a suffix to a word, even if that word doesn't exist. If no[…] 2008 04, Joanne O'Sullivan, I Don't Care If We're There Yet: The Backseat Boredom Buster, Lark Books, →ISBN, page 183:
(attributive, countable, in names of species, uncountable) White or pale.
ghost slug
ghost flower
(attributive, countable, in names of species, uncountable) Transparent or translucent.
id polong (spirit appearing after death) · fi haamukuva (false image in an optical device) · dsb wopokazowanje (spirit appearing after death) · id roh (spirit appearing after death) · zh 鬼 (spirit appearing after death) · uk ма́рево (faint shadowy semblance) · lv velis (spirit appearing after death) · nl artefact (false image in an optical device) · tyv сүнезин (spirit appearing after death) · ast alma (spirit appearing after death) · ja 幽鬼 (spirit appearing after death) · rom muli (spirit appearing after death) · akz sollòkchi (spirit appearing after death) · ny chipukupuku (spirit appearing after death) · ca ànima (spirit appearing after death) · uz ruh (spirit appearing after death) · fo dreygur (spirit appearing after death) · uk фанто́м (spirit appearing after death) · ur بُھوت (spirit appearing after death) · bg при́зрак (spirit appearing after death) · fr fantôme (spirit appearing after death) · fa شَبَح (spirit appearing after death) · lv gars (spirit appearing after death) · gl espantallada (spirit appearing after death) · nn skrømt (spirit appearing after death) · stq gäist (spirit appearing after death) · fy spûk (spirit appearing after death) · ro apariție (spirit appearing after death) · nn gjenferd (spirit appearing after death) · ko 귀신 (spirit appearing after death) · sw mizuka (false image in an optical device) · ru при́зрак (spirit appearing after death) · yao cilengwalengwa class 7 (spirit appearing after death) · gl pantasma (spirit appearing after death) · haw ʻuhane (spirit appearing after death) · my နာနာဘာဝ (spirit appearing after death) · sh priviđénje (spirit appearing after death) · fr apparition (spirit appearing after death) · fi kangastus (faint shadowy semblance) · nn attergangar (spirit appearing after death) · sat ᱵᱷᱩᱛ (spirit appearing after death) · ur رُوح (spirit appearing after death) · an espectro (spirit appearing after death) · tg шабаҳ (spirit appearing after death) · be дух (spirit appearing after death) · bg дух (spirit appearing after death) · id momok (spirit appearing after death) · nv chʼį́įdii (spirit appearing after death) · ca aberració (false image in an optical device) · da genganger (spirit appearing after death) · ru привиде́ние (spirit appearing after death) · fr revenant (spirit appearing after death) · pt simulacro (spirit appearing after death) · da genfærd (spirit appearing after death) · tpi tambaran (spirit appearing after death) · es sombra (faint shadowy semblance) · ko 영혼 (spirit appearing after death) · ja 魂魄 (spirit appearing after death) · fkv haamu (faint shadowy semblance) · sv spökbild (spirit appearing after death) · ml പ്രേതം (spirit appearing after death) · io fantomo (spirit appearing after death) · eo apero (spirit appearing after death) · fa روح (spirit appearing after death) · tl aparisyon (spirit appearing after death) · te దయ్యం (faint shadowy semblance) · de Erscheinung (spirit appearing after death) · ja 幽霊 (spirit appearing after death) · ro duh (spirit appearing after death) · pt espectro (spirit appearing after death) · pt sombra (faint shadowy semblance) · et kummitus (spirit appearing after death) · ltg bīds (spirit appearing after death) · ve tshirunzi (spirit appearing after death) · sa वेताल (spirit appearing after death) · kk елес (spirit appearing after death) · eu mamu (spirit appearing after death) · sw mizuka (faint shadowy semblance) · rom mulo (spirit appearing after death) · gd sgàile (spirit appearing after death) · pl zjawa (spirit appearing after death) · da gespenst (spirit appearing after death) · ny mzukwa (spirit appearing after death) · sux 𒄇 (spirit appearing after death) · pcd rëv’nant (spirit appearing after death) · da draug (spirit appearing after death) · hi पिशाच (faint shadowy semblance) · pt avantesma (spirit appearing after death) · wa spér (spirit appearing after death) · tyv чиргилчин (spirit appearing after death) · dsb tšašydło (spirit appearing after death) · rsk уява (spirit appearing after death) · nb gespenst (spirit appearing after death) · yi גײַסט (spirit appearing after death) · st sethotsela (spirit appearing after death) · hu fantom (spirit appearing after death) · ur شَبَح (spirit appearing after death) · uk дух (spirit appearing after death) · ko 환상 (spirit appearing after death) · gv scaan (false image on a television screen) · fr esprit (spirit appearing after death) · hy ուրվական (spirit appearing after death) · te భూతం (faint shadowy semblance) · cs duch (false image on a television screen) · xda buddhung (faint shadowy semblance) · be фанто́м (spirit appearing after death) · mg fanahy (spirit appearing after death) · ryu 幽霊 (spirit appearing after death) · egy Ax-Z1:H_SPACE (spirit appearing after death) · tl multo (spirit appearing after death) · nrf êpitafl'ye (spirit appearing after death) · nap spireto (spirit appearing after death) · pt fantasma (spirit appearing after death) · pt sombra (spirit appearing after death) · eo fantomo (spirit appearing after death) · es espíritu (spirit appearing after death) · fi sielu (spirit appearing after death) · chy séo'ȯtse (spirit appearing after death) · sa प्रेत (spirit appearing after death) · ko 고스트 (spirit appearing after death) · wyi murup (spirit appearing after death) · tpi daiman (spirit appearing after death) · th ผี (spirit appearing after death) · tg сиёҳӣ (spirit appearing after death) · sl duh (spirit appearing after death) · cs přízrak (spirit appearing after death) · la larva (spirit appearing after death) · ar زَوْل (spirit appearing after death) · mk авет (spirit appearing after death) · th พราย (spirit appearing after death) · ja 化け物 (spirit appearing after death) · lld fantom (spirit appearing after death) · lv fantoms (spirit appearing after death) · it ombra (faint shadowy semblance) · lld spiert (spirit appearing after death) · hi प्रेत (faint shadowy semblance) · goh gitrog (spirit appearing after death) · sux 𒋝𒋝 (spirit appearing after death) · te ప్రేతాత్మ (spirit appearing after death) · pl zwid (spirit appearing after death) · gd sgàile (faint shadowy semblance) · ja 物の怪 (spirit appearing after death) · es fantasma (spirit appearing after death) · rm spiert (spirit appearing after death) · srn yorka (spirit appearing after death) · wo dog (spirit appearing after death) · gl aparición (spirit appearing after death) · hi देव (spirit appearing after death) · ja 魂 (spirit appearing after death) · ang gāst (spirit appearing after death) · sco boodie (spirit appearing after death) · sux 𒆤 (spirit appearing after death) · nay krinkari (spirit appearing after death) · nl fantoom (spirit appearing after death) · tg рӯҳ (spirit appearing after death) · sw mzimu (spirit appearing after death) · mk сениште (spirit appearing after death) · gd taibhse (spirit appearing after death) · ka ზმანება (spirit appearing after death) · sv ande (spirit appearing after death) · cy bwgan (spirit appearing after death) · gl estadea (spirit appearing after death) · mn ᠰᠦᠨᠡᠰᠦ (spirit appearing after death) · lo ປີສາດ (spirit appearing after death) · mn сүнс (spirit appearing after death) · it spirito (spirit appearing after death) · uk прима́ра (spirit appearing after death) · sk prízrak (spirit appearing after death) · gl mandrágula (spirit appearing after death) · hi प्रेत (spirit appearing after death) · pl widziadło (spirit appearing after death) · sco bogle (spirit appearing after death) · jam duppy (spirit appearing after death) · ja お化け (spirit appearing after death) · an aparición (spirit appearing after death) · stq spouk (spirit appearing after death) · pl duch (spirit appearing after death) · sc pantùma (spirit appearing after death) · swb mufu (spirit appearing after death) · fa رُوح (spirit appearing after death) · nrf vîsion (spirit appearing after death) · zh 幻象 (faint shadowy semblance) · hi पिशाच (spirit appearing after death) · ko 유령 (spirit appearing after death) · ja 妖怪 (spirit appearing after death) · sw jini (faint shadowy semblance) · gl zarronco (spirit appearing after death) · mdf [script needed] (sashendy kula) (spirit appearing after death) · li geis (spirit appearing after death) · oc esglasi (spirit appearing after death) · ast espíritu (spirit appearing after death) · ar جِنِّي (spirit appearing after death) · uk при́вид (spirit appearing after death) · an espírito (spirit appearing after death) · uk мара́ (spirit appearing after death) · gl bulto (spirit appearing after death) · th ภูต (spirit appearing after death) · zh гуй (spirit appearing after death) · fi haamukuva (false image on a television screen) · mg lolo (faint shadowy semblance) · ar عفريت (spirit appearing after death) · ca aparició (spirit appearing after death) · ja 妖魔 (spirit appearing after death) · ja 怨霊 (spirit appearing after death) · haw akua (spirit appearing after death) · ko 환영 (spirit appearing after death) · th ปิศาจ (spirit appearing after death) · hu árnyalak (faint shadowy semblance) · eo fantomo (faint shadowy semblance) · ka აჩრდილი (spirit appearing after death) · sa भूत (spirit appearing after death) · af spookbeeld (false image on a television screen) · sv dubbelgångare (spirit appearing after death) · bxd jui⁵⁵ (spirit appearing after death) · nl geest (spirit appearing after death) · de Geist (spirit appearing after death) · la umbra (spirit appearing after death) · da sjæl (spirit appearing after death) · hu kísértet (spirit appearing after death) · sh са̏бла̄ст (spirit appearing after death) · ro strigoi (spirit appearing after death) · gv scaa (spirit appearing after death) · ca esperit (spirit appearing after death) · ar شَبَح (spirit appearing after death) · sw mizuka (false image on a television screen) · frr Spook (spirit appearing after death) · gl cocón (spirit appearing after death) · ca ombra (faint shadowy semblance) · sa पिशाच (spirit appearing after death) · ja 変化 (spirit appearing after death) · sv själ (spirit appearing after death) · ba өрәк (spirit appearing after death) · ar عفريت (spirit appearing after death) · ca fantasma (false image on a television screen) · lt fantomas (spirit appearing after death) · br spes (spirit appearing after death) · es el alma (spirit appearing after death) · eo spirito (spirit appearing after death) · ltg čapāslys (spirit appearing after death) · is vofa (spirit appearing after death) · pt lêmure (spirit appearing after death) · sh sȁblāst (spirit appearing after death) · nn spøkelse (spirit appearing after death) · cs fantóm (spirit appearing after death) · ro iazmă (spirit appearing after death) · la phantasma (spirit appearing after death) · la phasma (spirit appearing after death) · sv fantom (spirit appearing after death) · sco phanton (spirit appearing after death) · ka მოჩვენება (spirit appearing after death) · af spook (spirit appearing after death) · rsk дух (spirit appearing after death) · ka აჩრდილი (faint shadowy semblance) · fi kummitus (spirit appearing after death) · la spectrum (spirit appearing after death) · sc pantàsima (spirit appearing after death) · nb gjenferd (spirit appearing after death) · osa ilǫ́ɣe (spirit appearing after death) · it spettro (spirit appearing after death) · oc hantauma (spirit appearing after death) · ja ゴースト (spirit appearing after death) · ro spectru (spirit appearing after death) · gug póra (spirit appearing after death) · vi ma quỉ (spirit appearing after death) · pox tvorzaikă (spirit appearing after death) · haw lapu (spirit appearing after death) · pam maglalage (spirit appearing after death) · myv цюдавома (spirit appearing after death) · te ప్రేతాత్మ (faint shadowy semblance) · sw kivuli (spirit appearing after death) · io fantomo (faint shadowy semblance) · nl gespens (spirit appearing after death) · sl fantom (spirit appearing after death) · uk мара́ (faint shadowy semblance) · sq gogol (spirit appearing after death) · fo andi (spirit appearing after death) · it ombra (spirit appearing after death) · el φάντασμα (spirit appearing after death) · sk fantóm (spirit appearing after death) · bcl kalag (spirit appearing after death) · ast apaición (spirit appearing after death) · sq stihji (spirit appearing after death) · an sombra (spirit appearing after death) · te పిశాచి (faint shadowy semblance) · ar خَيَال (spirit appearing after death) · mk сенка (spirit appearing after death) · sq flama (spirit appearing after death) · hi वेताल (spirit appearing after death) · ka მოლანდება (spirit appearing after death) · ca espectre (spirit appearing after death) · pdt Spuak (spirit appearing after death) · tt өрәк (spirit appearing after death) · fur fantàsime (spirit appearing after death) · cs duch (spirit appearing after death) · tr hayalet (spirit appearing after death) · bg двоен образ (false image on a television screen) · oc trèva (spirit appearing after death) · bn ভূত (spirit appearing after death) · dsb šarjenje (spirit appearing after death) · pl upiór (spirit appearing after death) · ps شبح (spirit appearing after death) · ro fantasmă (spirit appearing after death) · nl verschijning (spirit appearing after death) · af gees (spirit appearing after death) · hi रूह (spirit appearing after death) · gv scaanjoon (spirit appearing after death) · cop ϩⲟⲣⲧϥ (spirit appearing after death) · ny chiŵanda (spirit appearing after death) · fr fantasme (spirit appearing after death) · tyv ора-сома (spirit appearing after death) · sv gengångare (spirit appearing after death) · mi kēhua (spirit appearing after death) · zh 幻象 (false image in an optical device) · id hantu (spirit appearing after death) · sk strašidlo (spirit appearing after death) · ar شبح (spirit appearing after death) · de Phantom (spirit appearing after death) · hu szellem (spirit appearing after death) · sv hamn (spirit appearing after death) · mk привидение (spirit appearing after death) · lt vaiduoklis (spirit appearing after death) · uk фанто́м (faint shadowy semblance) · it anima (spirit appearing after death) · tyv хей чүве (spirit appearing after death) · wyi naRun (spirit appearing after death) · is draugur (spirit appearing after death) · ko 잡신 (spirit appearing after death) · ga sprid (spirit appearing after death) · gl estantiga (spirit appearing after death) · tpi tewel (spirit appearing after death) · he רוּחַ רְפָאִים (spirit appearing after death) · de Spuk (spirit appearing after death) · sh ávet (spirit appearing after death) · pt larva (spirit appearing after death) · sh ду̏х (spirit appearing after death) · nb spøkelse (spirit appearing after death) · nrf fantôme (spirit appearing after death) · zh 鬼魂 (spirit appearing after death) · rm spért (spirit appearing after death) · lo ຕາຫລອກ (spirit appearing after death) · sq hije (spirit appearing after death) · gv scaan (spirit appearing after death) · kix ùo (spirit appearing after death) · az hayalet (spirit appearing after death) · it larva (spirit appearing after death) · te భూతాకారం (false image in an optical device) · de Schatten (faint shadowy semblance) · cy ysbryd (spirit appearing after death) · ga taibhse (spirit appearing after death) · pt assombração (spirit appearing after death) · ky арбак (spirit appearing after death) · hu szellemkép (false image on a television screen) · ast fantasma (spirit appearing after death) · hu árny (faint shadowy semblance) · ms hantu (spirit appearing after death) · cs vidina (spirit appearing after death) · rom ćovaxani (spirit appearing after death) · ny chidangwaleza class 7 chidude (spirit appearing after death) · ar طَيْف (spirit appearing after death) · ta பேய் (spirit appearing after death) · li sjpook (spirit appearing after death) · ny chowuka (spirit appearing after death) · da ånd (spirit appearing after death) · be пры́від (spirit appearing after death) · az ruh (spirit appearing after death) · lld utschac (spirit appearing after death) · pt aparição (spirit appearing after death) · an pantasma (spirit appearing after death) · sk zjavenie (spirit appearing after death) · om ekeraa (spirit appearing after death) · sw mzuka (spirit appearing after death) · yi רוח (spirit appearing after death) · sq fantazmë (spirit appearing after death) · mnc ᡥᡠᡨᡠ (spirit appearing after death) · te భూతం (spirit appearing after death) · mdf шота (spirit appearing after death) · oc fantauma (spirit appearing after death) · hi छाया (spirit appearing after death) · es aparecido (spirit appearing after death) · ca distorsió (false image on a television screen) · eo ombro (spirit appearing after death) · pt espírito (spirit appearing after death) · ru дух (spirit appearing after death) · gd tannasg (spirit appearing after death) · vi bóng ma (spirit appearing after death) · gl espantonia (spirit appearing after death) · mjw chamburukso (spirit appearing after death) · fa شَبَح (spirit appearing after death) · it lemure (spirit appearing after death) · mjw hi-eh (spirit appearing after death) · it apparizione (spirit appearing after death) · sh фа̀нто̄м (spirit appearing after death) · mnc ᠪᡠᠴᡝᠯᡳ (spirit appearing after death) · pt abentesma (spirit appearing after death) · es espectro (spirit appearing after death) · xda buddhung (spirit appearing after death) · nl spookbeeld (false image on a television screen) · su jurig (spirit appearing after death) · ru фанто́м (spirit appearing after death) · fi haamu (spirit appearing after death) · cs duch (false image in an optical device) · pt abantesma (spirit appearing after death) · fro fantosme (spirit appearing after death) · st sepoko (spirit appearing after death) · goh geist (spirit appearing after death) · pcd spèke (spirit appearing after death) · ood kok'oi (spirit appearing after death) · sv skugga (spirit appearing after death) · ro spirit (spirit appearing after death) · pl mara (spirit appearing after death) · zh 幽魂 (spirit appearing after death) · tk arwah (spirit appearing after death) · ca fantasma (spirit appearing after death) · ar شَبْح (spirit appearing after death) · da spøgelse (spirit appearing after death) · lb Phantom (spirit appearing after death) · ro nălucă (spirit appearing after death) · ast espectru (spirit appearing after death) · gl defunto (spirit appearing after death) · srn spuku (spirit appearing after death) · yao lisimwi (spirit appearing after death) · et fantoom (spirit appearing after death) · tr ruh (spirit appearing after death) · ast pantasma (spirit appearing after death) · es pora (spirit appearing after death) · nog теки (spirit appearing after death) · ar رُوح (spirit appearing after death) · la manes (spirit appearing after death) · an alma (spirit appearing after death) · fkv haamu (spirit appearing after death) · pl widmo (spirit appearing after death) · fur parence (spirit appearing after death) · cs zjevení (spirit appearing after death) · pdt Jeist (spirit appearing after death) · es sombra (spirit appearing after death) · ro fantomă (spirit appearing after death) · rsk привидзенє (spirit appearing after death) · ce гӏаларт (spirit appearing after death) · fo spøkilsi (spirit appearing after death) · lv spoks (spirit appearing after death) · hi भूत (faint shadowy semblance) · it simulacro (spirit appearing after death) · te పిశాచి (spirit appearing after death) · fi haamu (faint shadowy semblance) · rom ćovaxano (spirit appearing after death) · ps روح (spirit appearing after death) · bem umulungulwa class 3 (spirit appearing after death) · fi aave (spirit appearing after death) · pa ਭੂਤ (spirit appearing after death) · ja 死霊 (spirit appearing after death) · mt fatat (spirit appearing after death) · sh привиђе́ње (spirit appearing after death) · my သရဲ (spirit appearing after death) · my တစ္ဆေ (spirit appearing after death) · mt ħares (spirit appearing after death) · pcd rvënant (spirit appearing after death) · nl spooksel (spirit appearing after death) · sq bubë (spirit appearing after death) · ain トゥカㇷ゚ (spirit appearing after death) · sh dȕh (spirit appearing after death) · es aparición (spirit appearing after death) · enm goost (spirit appearing after death) · sv gast (spirit appearing after death) · zu poki (spirit appearing after death) · lt pamėklė (spirit appearing after death) · bg привиде́ние (spirit appearing after death) · lo ພູດ (spirit appearing after death) · akz aatsollokchi (spirit appearing after death) · mt ruħ (spirit appearing after death) · ja 亡霊 (spirit appearing after death) · nrf r'vénant (spirit appearing after death) · uz arvoh (spirit appearing after death) · uk артефа́кт (false image in an optical device) · pt aventesma (spirit appearing after death) · sv vålnad (spirit appearing after death) · sv draug (spirit appearing after death) · pt avejão (spirit appearing after death) · grc φάντασμα (spirit appearing after death) · nl spook (spirit appearing after death) · de Geisterbild (false image on a television screen) · sco ghaist (spirit appearing after death) · be здань (spirit appearing after death) · pt alma (spirit appearing after death) · el σκιά (faint shadowy semblance) · pl fantom (spirit appearing after death) · de Gehuuri (spirit appearing after death) · lo ຜີ (spirit appearing after death) · fi henki (spirit appearing after death) · eo ombro (faint shadowy semblance) · tg хаёлат (spirit appearing after death) · osa waną́ąɣe (spirit appearing after death) · sh а́вет (spirit appearing after death) · sk duch (spirit appearing after death) · ast sombra (spirit appearing after death) · ja 精霊 (spirit appearing after death) · sh fàntōm (spirit appearing after death) · km ខ្មោច (spirit appearing after death) · grc φάσμα (spirit appearing after death) · hi भूत (spirit appearing after death) · nap spettro (spirit appearing after death)
The noun is derived from Middle English gost, from Old English gāst, gǣst (“breath, spirit, soul, ghost”) (compare modern English Holy Ghost), from Proto-West Germanic *gaist, from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéysdos, from *ǵʰéysd- (“anger, agitation”).
The h in the spelling appears in the Prologue to William Caxton’s Royal Book, printed in 1484, in a reference to the “Holy Ghoost”. It was likely influenced by Middle Dutch gheest, a common variant of geest. Both Caxton and his assistant Wynkyn de Worde had connections to the Low Countries. Doublet of geist.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun. The verb gained prominence in the 2010s.
cognates
* Danish gast (“ghost”), gejst (“enthusiasm”)
* Dutch geest (“ghost, spirit”)
* German Geist (“ghost, spirit”)
* Luxembourgish Geescht (“ghost, spirit, spectre, phantom”)
* Saterland Frisian Gäist, Jeest (“ghost, spirit”)
* Scots gaist, ghaist (“ghost”)
* Swedish gast (“ghost”)
* Vilamovian gȧjst (“ghost, spirit”)
* West Frisian geast (“ghost, spirit”)
* Yiddish גײַסט (gayst, “ghost, spirit”)
* Yola gaast (“ghost”)
Meanings
(literary, poetic, transitive) Of a disembodied soul: to appear (somewhere or to someone) in the form of an apparition; to haunt.
since Julius Caesar, / Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi], line 1221:
(literary, poetic, transitive) To imbue (something) with a ghost-like effect or hue.
It spread slowly up from the sea-rim, a welling upwards of pure white light, ghosting the beach with silver and drawing the grey bastions of sandstone out of formless space. 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 32:
(broadly, figuratively, transitive) To continuously cause (someone or something) trouble; specifically, to continuously be in the thoughts of (someone) in a disturbing manner; to perturb, to trouble.
(broadly, figuratively, slang, transitive) To kill (someone).
RONALD: ”They tried to ghost your girl Isabel right here”. WES CHANDLER (played by Ron Perlman): ”Tried to ‘ghost’ her?” RONALD: ”Merk. 86. Put her down in the dirt. You feel me?” 2017 September 28, Josh Corbin, 37:03 from the start, in Start Up, season 2, episode 6, spoken by Ronald Dacey (Edi Gathegi):
My recommendation: Do me. Don't take the chance that I'll get shiv-happy on your wannabe ass. Ghost me, Riddick. Would if I were you. Though I notice he tried to ghost my ass. When he shot up that stranger instead. 2000, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, David Twohy, Pitch Black (film):
He just ghosted two guys, and I never even saw him. Plan was to clean the bank, ghost the mercs, break wide through the tunnel. 2004, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, David Twohy, The Chronicles of Riddick (film):
This may come as a shock to you, Johns, but I didn't ghost your son. He seemed set on killin' himself. Diaz was gonna take the nodes for himself and ghost me. He was gonna leave you out here alone. 2013, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, David Twohy, Riddick (film):
(broadly, figuratively, transitive) To gray out (a visual element) to indicate that it is unavailable.
Whenever a menu or menu item is inappropriate or unavailable for selection, it should be ghosted. Never allow the user to select something that does nothing in response. 1991, Amiga User Interface Style Guide, page 76:
(Internet, broadly, figuratively, transitive) To forcibly disconnect (an IRC user) who is using one's reserved nickname.
I'm so untechnical that I once ghosted a registered IRC nick and then tried to identify myself to NickServ with the valid password before actually changing my nick to the aforementioned moniker. 2001, Luke, “to leave (vb.): Hurg [OT]”, in alt.games.lucas-arts.monkey-island (Usenet):
(broadly, figuratively, qualifier:chiefly social media, slang, transitive) To stop communicating with (someone) on social media, through text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; hence, to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation.
He had texted, called, and emailed a bunch since then. I hadn't meant to ghost, but it was just easier not to deal with it. 2018, Ling Ma, chapter 17, in Severance, →ISBN:
I've recently been trying out Tinder, and while I match with people and even chat with them everything seems to be going well, but whenever I bring up meeting IRL, they are quick to ghost me. 2015 October 15, “Why is it so hard to go from chatting on Tinder to meeting up in real life?”, in The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2016:
Tinder knows me so well. It knows the real, inglorious version of me who copy-pasted the same joke to match 567, 568, and 569; who exchanged compulsively with 16 different people simultaneously one New Year's Day, and then ghosted 16 of them. 2017 September 26, Judith Duportail, “I asked Tinder for my data. It sent me 800 pages of my deepest, darkest secrets”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2018:
By 6 p.m., I had a list of restaurants to try from Hamish, a chef who couldn't meet, a follow-up from Adam ("I've never seen a room at the Ace...."), and an offer from Agoraphobic Paul to come over and "have a joint and a cuddle." I'd confirmed a walking tour of Greenwich from Max, who ghosted. 2016 March 21, Allison P. Davies, “What I Learned Tindering My Way Across Europe”, in Travel + Leisure, archived from the original on 06 Jan 2018:
(UK, broadly, figuratively, transitive) To transfer (a prisoner) to another prison, usually without first informing the prisoner.
His power base, however, is undermined by him being constantly, “ghosted”, or moved from prison to prison. 2020, Jamie Bennett, Victoria Knight, Prisoners on Prison Films, page 26:
(transitive) Synonym of ghostwrite (“to write (a literary work or speech), or produce (an artistic work)), in the place of someone”); also, to carry out (an artistic performance) in the place of someone.
One of the few performers to triumph over ghosting was Ava Gardner in Freed's Show Boat (1951). Not only does she lip-synch with breathtaking accuracy, her performance gives the cotton-candy production its only underpinning of realism. 1999, The Golden Age of Musicals, page 50:
The current issue carries an extraordinary 26,000-word piece by Andrew O'Hagan on his failed attempt to ghost the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's memoir, which was trending on Twitter before copies even hit the news-stands. 2014 March 9, Elizabeth Day, “Is the LRB the best magazine in the world?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:
Here's how it went: Larry Parks as elderly Al Jolson was watching Larry Parks playing young Al Jolson in the first movie — in other words, Parks ghosting for Parks. At the same time, Jolson himself was ghosting the voices for both of them. 1955, Saturday Review (volume 38, part 2, page 27)
Well, you wrote a few books, you wrote a famous play, and even that was half ghosted. 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 41:
(intransitive) To appear suddenly or move like a disembodied soul; specifically (often sports); also (transitive, dated) followed by the dummy subject it: to move easily and quietly without anyone noticing; to slip.
Arsenal came into the match under severe pressure and nerves were palpable early on as Pratley was brilliantly denied by Szczesny after ghosting in front of Kieran Gibbs 2011 September 24, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 3 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC Sport:
He ghosted through the door. It clanged a few seconds later as his pursuer pounded on it. 2012, Ian Tregillis, Bitter Seeds, →ISBN:
At the flank of the main stage, I took root for an hour, until a female form ghosted in front of me that I recognised from university two years before. 2011, Mark Harnden, In the Dark Backyard, →ISBN, page 59:
(intransitive) Followed by for: synonym of ghostwrite (“to write a literary work or speech, or produce an artistic work, in the place of someone”); also, to carry out an artistic performance in the place of someone.
(intransitive) Of a sailing vessel: to sail seemingly with very little or no wind.
They move without any visible sign of movement, like a wakeless ship ghosting over the water. 2016, Nathanael Johnson, Unseen City, →ISBN, page 192:
(intransitive, obsolete) Apparently only in the writings of the Dutch-English physician Gideon Harvey (c. 1636–1640 – c. 1700–1702): to die, to expire.
fi sijaistaa ((transitive) to carry out (an artistic performance) in the place of someone; (intransitive) to carry out an artistic performance in the place of someone) · es cortar toda comunicación con ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi siirtää toiseen vankilaan ((transitive) to transfer (a prisoner) to another prison, usually without first informing the prisoner) · ka დაგოსთავს ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi kummitella ((intransitive) to appear suddenly or move like a disembodied soul) · hu köddé válik ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · pl ghostować ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi ghostata ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu kámforrá válik ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · pt deixar no vácuo ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · ka გოსთავს ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi ajautua tyynessä ((intransitive) of a sailing vessel: to sail seemingly with very little or no wind) · zh 弧 ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · pt dar vácuo ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu ghostol ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · it ghostare ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · zh 已讀不回 /已读不回 ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · es ignorar completa y repentinamente ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu (szó nélkül/nyomtalanul) ghostingol ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fr ghoster ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · zh 玩消失 ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu eltűnik ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · ms palau ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi saada kumottamaan ((transitive) to imbue (something) with a ghost-like effect or hue) · es descontactar ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · es ghostear ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu lelép ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · de ghosten ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi lopettaa yhteydenpito ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · hu felszívódik ((transitive) to stop communicating with (someone) on social media, though text messages, etc., without explanation, especially as a way of ending a relationship; to end a relationship with (someone) by stopping all communication without explanation) · fi katkaista kummitteleva käyttäjä ((transitive) to forcibly disconnect (an IRC user) who is using one’s reserved nickname)