What does "spook" mean?
A ghost or phantom.
Spook
/spuːk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A ghost or phantom.
- Grammar: spook is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ghost, specter, affright, agent.
- Useful contrasts: boost confidence, calm, civilian.
- Usage evidence: The building was haunted by a couple of spooks.
How to use "spook"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "spook" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "spook" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "spook" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "spook" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "spook" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ghost" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "spook", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A ghost or phantom. informal
"The building was haunted by a couple of spooks."
- 2 a mental representation of some haunting experience wordnet
- 3 A hobgoblin.
- 4 someone unpleasantly strange or eccentric wordnet
- 5 A scare or fright. informal
"The big spider gave me a spook."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 An undercover agent, spy, or intelligence analyst. slang
"From Ian Fleming to John Le Carre - authors have long been fascinated by the world of espionage. But, asks the BBC’s Gordon Corera, what do real life spooks make of fictional spies?"
- 7 A black person. dated, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur
"Some won't take spooks—hell, don't make no difference to me."
- 8 A metaphysical manifestation; an artificial distinction or construct.
"He who is infatuated with Man leaves persons out of account so far as that infatuation extends, and floats in an ideal, sacred interest. Man, you see, is not a person, but an ideal, a spook."
- 9 A psychiatrist. US, slang
"Commonly, the surgeons view nonsurgeons with disdain. The most disdain is directed toward the “shrinks” or the “spooks,” as the psychiatrists are called."
- 10 A player who engages in hole carding by attempting to glimpse the dealer's hole card when the dealer checks under an ace or a 10 to see if a blackjack is present. slang
Verb
- 1 To frighten or make nervous (especially by startling). transitive
"The hunters were spooked when the black cat crossed their path. The movement in the bushes spooked the deer and they ran."
- 2 frighten or scare, and often provoke into a violent action wordnet
- 3 To become frightened (by something startling). intransitive
"The deer spooked at the sound of the dogs."
- 4 To haunt. transitive
Example
"The building was haunted by a couple of spooks."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "spook"?
Common synonyms include: ghost, specter, affright, agent, agitate, alarm.
How do you use "spook" in a sentence?
The building was haunted by a couple of spooks.
How do you pronounce "spook"?
Pronounced /spuːk/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch spook (“ghost”), from Middle Dutch spooc (“spook, ghost”). Cognate with Middle Low German spôk, spûk (“apparition, ghost”), Middle High German gespük (“a haunting”), German Spuk, Danish spøge (“to haunt”), Swedish spöke (“ghost”).