Spookish
/ˈspuː.kɪʃ/noun
Suggestive of ghosts, haunting, or an eerie atmosphere.
Did you know?The root behind “spook” was borrowed into English from Dutch, helping make ghostly language part of both everyday speech and occult storytelling.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
spooc
“A ghost, apparition, or specter”
16th–17th Century
Dutch
spook
“A ghost or frightening apparition”
19th Century
American English
spook
“A ghost; later, informally, a spy”
19th Century
English
spooky
“Ghostly, eerie, or frightening”
Modern English
English
spookish
“Ghostlike, eerie, or suggestive of haunting”