as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poltergeist
For all of movie history’s great what-if casting coulda-beens, Beetlejuice might have the best of all of them: Burton wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play the titular poltergeist.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
In 1548, Johannes Gast wrote about a Faust who had played tricks on a group of monks by introducing a poltergeist into the monastery.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poltergeist 
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
In 1548, Johannes Gast wrote about a Faust who had played tricks on a group of monks by introducing a poltergeist into the monastery.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
-
Scenes unfold in extended, impulsively mobile shots, which create the impression of a ghost who is no mere passive observer but an alert and active mind.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Hollywood’s ghosts fill Lynch’s work, and so does its muck and its filth.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a kind of Gothic quality to the apparitions, calling to mind Edward Gorey figures, but all smeared and melted and smudged.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
-
There have been no sightings, no fleeting apparitions.—
David Ornstein,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Nordic sweaters were everywhere over the first festival weekend, as patrons got into the spirit of things.—
David Allen Jenn Ackerman,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
-
So in December, after a few years of planning and research, Couture debuted Local Liquid, a centralized online shop for local beverages — not just craft beer, but coffee, wine, spirits, seltzers, mixers and juices.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday, a team of researchers argued that the fish was a phantom all along.—
Jason Nark,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
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Listen to this article San Diego Symphony organ curator Bob Knight will never be mistaken for the phantom of the opera.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near poltergeist
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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