Spooky
/ˈspuːki/noun
Frightening, eerie, or suggestive of ghosts or supernatural forces.
Did you know?The noun “spook” entered American English in the early nineteenth century from Dutch spook, meaning “ghost” or “apparition,” and later also became a slang term for a spy.
Etymological Timeline
Early Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*spaukaz
“A frightening apparition or ghost; the precise reconstructed form and pathway are uncertain.”
16th–17th Century
Dutch
spook
“Ghost, specter, or apparition.”
18th Century
Pennsylvania Dutch/English
spook
“A ghost or supernatural being; likely transmitted into American English through Dutch-speaking communities.”
Early 19th Century
American English
spook
“Ghost; later, a frightening or uncanny person.”
1850s
American English
spooky
“Ghostly, eerie, or haunted.”
Modern English
English
spooky
“Unpleasantly eerie, frightening, or supernatural in atmosphere.”
Explore more surprising origins