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spooky

/ˈspuki/
/ˈspuki/
IPA guide

Other forms: spookiest; spookier

Spooky things make a shiver go down your spine—they're scary or creepy. A movie's spooky music might be enough to make you cover your eyes in fear.

This informal adjective is perfect for talking about things that make you feel afraid or deeply uneasy. Haunted houses are spooky, and the sound of quiet footsteps crunching through the leaves outside your tent at night are spooky too—at least until your brother yells, "Boo!" You can also use spooky to mean "easily spooked," like a nervous horse that jumps at the slightest sound.

Definitions of spooky
  1. adjective
    inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening
    synonyms: eerie, eery
    strange, unusual
    being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
  2. adjective
    unpredictably excitable (especially of horses)
    synonyms: flighty, nervous, skittish
    excitable
    easily excited
Pronunciation
US
/ˈspuki/
UK
/ˈspuki/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘spooky'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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