[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/spooky/)

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# spooky

adjective (spooky, spookier, spookiest)

«spooky» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Spooky means strange and a bit frightening, as if there might be ghosts. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#m1)
2. (informal) Spooky can mean strangely surprising, like an odd coincidence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#m2)
3. (informal, of an animal) Easily frightened or nervous, as in a spooky horse. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#m3)

### In the lessons

A favourite word for Halloween, ghost stories and dark places: it tells the reader to feel a shiver, often in a fun way. In everyday talk «that's spooky» is said about coincidences. Phrases: «spooky house», «spooky story», «spooky coincidence», «a bit spooky».

### Examples

- The old house on the hill looks spooky at night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x1)
- We told spooky stories around the campfire. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x2)
- Our classroom is decorated with spooky bats for Halloween. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x3)
- It's spooky that we both drew the same picture! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x4)
- The woods were spooky and silent. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x5)
- The pony is spooky and jumps at plastic bags. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x6)
- The spookiest part of the film was the creaking door. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/#x7)

### Note

Comes from «spook» (informal for ghost; also slang for a spy). Milder and more playful than «terrifying». Spelling: spookier, spookiest (y changes to i). The word «spook» is also an old offensive slur in the US in one sense, so use «spooky» and «spook» meaning ghost only.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «spooky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spooky/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«spooky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spooky.html) on Mova free.