spook

Meaning

Noun

1. (informal) A ghost or phantom.
2. A hobgoblin.
3. (informal) A scare or fright.
4. (slang) An undercover agent or spy.
5. (slang) A black person.
6. A metaphysical manifestation; an artificial distinction or construct.
7. (slang) A psychiatrist.
8. (slang) A player who engages in hole carding by attempting to glimpse the dealer's hole card when the dealer checks under an ace or a 10 to see if a blackjack is present.

Verb

1. To frighten or make nervous (especially by startling).
2. To become frightened (by something startling).
3. To haunt.

Synonyms

ghost

👻

spectre

specter

scare

😨

wraith

frighten

haunt

spirit

apparition

hobgoblin

bogey

genie

🧞

phantom

goblin

startle

weirdie

weirdo

spy

weirdy

shade

phantasm

poltergeist

terrify

creep

terrorize

ogress

scare off

disembodied soul

fantasm

phantasma

supernatural visitant

affright

odd fellow

bogy

bully

dash

💨

daunt

demon

detective

🕵️

discovery

eccentric

eye-opener

freak

gnome

haunter

intimidate

operative

pall

party dress

pixy

revelation

revelations

sprite

swagger

terrorise

unnerve

vampire

🧛

be frightened

Pronounced as (IPA)

/spuːk/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle Low German: spôk

Cognate with Middle High German: gespük

Cognate with German: Spuk

Cognate with Danish: spøge

Cognate with Swedish: spöke

In summary

Borrowed from Dutch spook (“ghost”), from Middle Dutch spooc (“spook, ghost”). Cognate with Middle Low German spôk, spûk (“apparition, ghost”), Middle High German gespük (“a haunting”), German Spuk, Danish spøge (“to haunt”), Swedish spöke (“ghost”). Doublet of puck.