What does haunt mean?
Haunt is chiefly a verb describing something that persists in a place or in the mind. A person may haunt a particular location by visiting it often, while a memory, regret, fear, or painful event may haunt someone by repeatedly returning to their thoughts. In the context of folklore and ghost stories, a spirit haunts a place by appearing there, usually with an unsettling or mysterious effect. The verb can also describe persistent distress, as in a problem that haunts a person's life. Its figurative uses often carry emotional weight: being haunted is not merely an occasional reminder but an experience in which the past seems unable to release its hold. The related noun refers to a place that someone visits frequently, especially one strongly associated with them. Although the word is not limited to either side of the Atlantic, the noun is less common in everyday contemporary use than the verb. Haunt remains especially vivid in literature, descriptions of supernatural places, and expressions concerning memory, guilt, and anxiety.
To visit or occupy a place repeatedly; to remain persistently in someone's thoughts or memory; to cause persistent worry or distress; or, of a spirit, to appear in a place.
"The abandoned mill was rumored to be haunted by an unseen presence."
The figurative sense is common in literary and emotional writing, where it suggests an insistent, sometimes frightening, presence in the mind.
A place that someone visits frequently or habitually, especially one associated with a person or repeated activity.
"The old bookshop was his favorite haunt on rainy afternoons."
The noun is less common than the verb in contemporary English and is often used with expressions such as “favourite haunt.”
Used when referring to several places that someone visits frequently or that are strongly associated with them.
"The historic market district contained several of her favorite haunts."
A ghost may haunt a house, but a memory can haunt a mind—and an old regret can haunt an entire life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does haunt come from?
Haunt entered English in the early 17th century from French hanter, meaning “to frequent” or “to visit often.” Its early usage centered on repeatedly visiting or frequenting a place, while the supernatural and figurative senses developed from the idea of a persistent presence. The word's ultimate medieval source is less securely established, so a more precise derivation would be speculative.
Related word forms
How haunt is actually used
The verb is common in formal, literary, and emotional contexts. Its figurative sense often suggests that a memory, fear, or person has an insistent and unsettling presence in the mind.
Easily confused with haunt
Haunt means to linger in a place, mind, or memory, whereas hunt means to search for or pursue an animal, person, or object.