SPECTRAL Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

spectral

adjective

Definition of spectral

as in haunting

of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spectral As this unfolds, La’An attempts to work the ship’s computer but only finds more footage of Harper, who then shows up in person in desiccated, spectral form before disappearing. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 July 2026 She’s represented here by a woman dematerializing headfirst, seemingly outlived only by her pendulous breasts, and a sparse landscape where a spectral figure peeks up from the bottom edge. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026 This chamber spotlights the prevalence and power of the spectral and supernatural in film, with ghosts serving as inspiration for special and visual effects innovation. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 Unfortunately, the costs of this fleeting spectral wonder are high, borne by negative consequences for our environment and our health. — Char Miller, Time, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spectral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral

Adjective

The comment takes on a haunting resonance three months later, after Panettiere was found unresponsive on a Sunday.

— Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
The result is a haunting portrait of social collapse whose power is premised on the words and faces of survivors.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of haunting

Adjective

After a brief stay in a very creepy hospital (unsettlingly empty) Hal and John reunite.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Meta is rolling out an obvious fix to make its AI glasses less creepy amid backlash over the glasses’ non-consensual recordings that have flooded the Internet.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of creepy

Adjective

In a campaign known as Operation Wandering Soul, US forces played recordings of eerie sounds and voices where combatants were fighting in the jungle.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
At maximum eclipse, much of the moon may take on an eerie reddish hue as sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere is refracted into the shadow and onto the lunar surface.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of eerie

Adjective

The rush to capitalize on AI developers’ seemingly bottomless demand for computing power has produced some phantom projects and long-shot pitches.

— Matt Day, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
In a new cross-sectional study, researchers at Istanbul Medipol University in Türkiye set out to explain the neuroscience behind these phantom earthquake sensations.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of phantom

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spectra

spectral

spectrum

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“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spectral

adjective

Example Sentences

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