specter

noun

spec·​ter ˈspek-tər 

variants or spectre

1

: a visible disembodied spirit : ghost

2

: something that haunts or perturbs the mind : phantasm

the specter of hunger

Synonyms

• apparition
• bogey
• bogie
• bogy
• familiar spirit
• ghost
• hant [dialect]
• haunt [chiefly dialect]
• materialization
• phantasm
• fantasm
• phantom
• poltergeist
• shade
• shadow
• spirit
• spook
• sprite
• vision
• visitant
• wraith

Examples of specter in a Sentence

feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter

Recent Examples on the Web

Social psychology experiments show that people often cope with the specter of death by attaching themselves to cultural ideologies, such as religious, political, or even sports fandom. —Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024

Zoom out: Republicans have been raising the specter of a wide-ranging effort to challenge the election result if Trump loses. —Andrew Solender, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

On balance, City of Troy has a lot to get over in executing that innate command on dirt, but his obstacle is less daunting than the specters that, some close observers still maintain, haunt Fierceness. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

Georgian Dream has used the specter of being dragged into the Ukraine war to controversial effect in its campaign material. —David Hodari, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French spectre, from Latin spectrum appearance, specter, from specere to look, look at — more at spy

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing specter

• raised the specter of
• the specter of (something)

Kids Definition

specter

noun

spec·​ter

variants or spectre

ˈspek-tər 

1

: ghost

2

: something that bothers the mind