haunt - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

haunt

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈhɔːnt/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/hɔnt, hɑnt/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(hônt, hänt; for 10 also hant)



WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
haunt /hɔnt, hɑnt/USA pronunciation   v. [~ + object]
  1. to visit or appear to frequently as a ghost:to haunt a house.
  2. to return often to the mind, memory, or consciousness of (someone):Memories of love haunted me.
  3. to visit frequently:to haunt the art galleries.
  4. to distress repeatedly:a mistake that haunted him for years.

n. [countable]
  1. Often, haunts. [plural] a place frequently visited:returned to his old haunts.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
haunt  (hônt, hänt; for 10 also hant),USA pronunciation v.t. 
  1. to visit habitually or appear to frequently as a spirit or ghost:to haunt a house; to haunt a person.
  2. to recur persistently to the consciousness of;
    remain with:Memories of love haunted him.
  3. to visit frequently;
    go to often:He haunted the galleries and bars that the artists went to.
  4. to frequent the company of;
    be often with:He haunted famous men, hoping to gain celebrity for himself.
  5. to disturb or distress;
    cause to have anxiety;
    trouble;
    worry:His youthful escapades came back to haunt him.

v.i. 
  1. to reappear continually as a spirit or ghost.
  2. to visit habitually or regularly.
  3. to remain persistently;
    loiter;
    stay;
    linger.

n. 
  1. Often, haunts. a place frequently visited:to return to one's old haunts.
  2. Dialect Terms[Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. and North Eng.]a ghost.
  • Old Norse heimta to lead home, derivative of heim homewards; see home
  • Old French hanter to frequent, probably
  • Middle English haunten 1200–50
haunt′er, n. 
    • 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged frequent.
    • 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged obsess, beset, vex, plague.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
haunt /hɔːnt/ vb
  1. to visit (a person or place) in the form of a ghost
  2. (transitive) to intrude upon or recur to (the memory, thoughts, etc): he was haunted by the fear of insanity
  3. to visit (a place) frequently
  4. to associate with (someone) frequently
 n
  1. (often plural) a place visited frequently
  2. a place to which animals habitually resort for food, drink, shelter, etc
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French hanter, of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse heimta to bring home, Old English hāmettan to give a home to; see home
'haunt' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Fitzrovia - Sherwood Forest - Spanish Main - Tortuga - bezique - den - ghost - hant - haunted - haunting - home - howff - lie - obsess - purlieu - repair - soul - spook - stamping ground - walk - water witch
Collocations: the [bar, club] is his favorite haunt, a favorite haunt of [writers, singers], visiting some of our old haunts, more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "haunt" in the title:


Look up "haunt" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "haunt" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.