haunt

The word “haunt” means of a ghost or spirit, to appear regularly in a particular place. In plain terms, either a ghost repeatedly appearing somewhere, or a bad memory that keeps coming back to trouble you.

“Haunt” is pronounced hawnt (/hɔnt/ in IPA).

Here is “haunt” used in a sentence: “Locals say the old manor is haunted by a grey lady.”

Words with a similar meaning to “haunt” include dwell.

Depending on how it is used, “haunt” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “haunt” comes from Old French. From Old French hanter, "to frequent or visit regularly" — the ghost sense grew out of the idea of returning again and again to the same place.

“Haunt” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Haunt” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: of a ghost or spirit, to appear regularly in a particular place.

To haunt is for a ghost or troubling memory to appear or recur repeatedly in a place or mind, while to possess means to take over a body or object entirely. A haunted house has ghostly presences that come and go, whereas a possessed person is controlled from within.

Yes, haunt is commonly used figuratively to describe a memory, regret, or image that troubles someone's mind persistently, as in 'the image haunted her for years.' This non-supernatural use is just as common as the literal ghost sense.

As a noun, a haunt is a place someone visits often, like a favourite café or bar described as an 'old haunt.' This sense has nothing to do with ghosts and simply refers to a regular hangout.