What does spook mean?
A spook is, in its most traditional sense, a ghost or apparition. The word can also refer informally to a person who frightens others or seems intimidating, and as a verb it means to frighten someone suddenly or leave them feeling unsettled. “Spook” is especially common in North American English and is generally informal, giving it a playful, conversational tone that can be less eerie than the words “ghost,” “specter,” or “apparition.” The related adjective “spooky” is particularly familiar in descriptions of haunted houses, eerie sounds, and unsettling stories. Because the word can describe both the source of fear and the act of frightening someone, it works comfortably in literal and figurative contexts: a frightening encounter may spook a person, while a suspicious stranger may be described as a spook.
A ghost or apparition; informally, a frightening or intimidating person.
"They heard footsteps in the empty hallway and wondered whether they were being followed by a spook."
Informal and especially common in North American English. The extended sense for a frightening or threatening person is figurative.
To frighten someone suddenly or cause someone to become unsettled.
"The unexpected warning spooked the driver."
Informal. It can be used transitively, as in “spook someone,” or intransitively, as in “The horse spooked at the shadow.”
The regular plural is used mainly for ghosts or figuratively for frightening or threatening people.
"Local legends tell of two spooks haunting the abandoned railway station."
A spook can be the ghost that goes bump in the night—or the startling event that sends someone’s nerves jangling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spook come from?
The precise origin of “spook” is uncertain. It is recorded in American English by the late nineteenth century, initially in the sense of a ghost and also for a person or thing that causes fear; its verb use developed from the associated idea of frightening or unsettling someone.
Related word forms
How spook is actually used
The word is informal in both its noun and verb uses, especially in North American English. The adjective “spooky” is often more common than the noun when describing something eerie, while “spooked” is frequently used to describe a person who has been startled or made nervous.
Easily confused with spook
A spoke is one of the rods connecting the center of a wheel to its rim, whereas a spook is a ghost or, as a verb, something that frightens someone.