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haunting

haunt·ing
H h

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [hawn-ting, hahn-]
    • /ˈhɔn tɪŋ, ˈhɑn-/
    • /ˈhɔːn.tɪŋ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hawn-ting, hahn-]
    • /ˈhɔn tɪŋ, ˈhɑn-/

Definitions of haunting word

  • adjective haunting remaining in the consciousness; not quickly forgotten: haunting music; haunting memories. 1
  • noun haunting Often, haunts. a place frequently visited: to return to one's old haunts. 1
  • noun haunting Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. and North England. a ghost. 1
  • verb with object haunting to visit habitually or appear to frequently as a spirit or ghost: to haunt a house; to haunt a person. 1
  • verb with object haunting to recur persistently to the consciousness of; remain with: Memories of love haunted him. 1
  • verb with object haunting to visit frequently; go to often: He haunted the galleries and bars that the artists went to. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of haunting

First appearance:

before 1275
One of the 13% oldest English words
Middle English word dating back to 1275-1325; See origin at haunt, -ing2, -ing1

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Haunting

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

haunting popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 85% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

haunting usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for haunting

adj haunting

  • memorable — worth remembering; notable: a memorable speech.
  • nostalgic — experiencing or exhibiting nostalgia, a sentimental or wistful yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time, or situation.
  • spooky — like or befitting a spook or ghost; suggestive of spooks.
  • eerie — uncanny, so as to inspire superstitious fear; weird: an eerie midnight howl.
  • repeated — done, made, or said again and again: repeated attempts.

adjective haunting

  • lingering — to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave: We lingered awhile after the party.
  • melancholy — sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.
  • poignant — keenly distressing to the feelings: poignant regret.
  • evocative — Bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.
  • moving — capable of or having movement: a moving object.

See also

Matching words

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