Haunt
/hɔːnt/
Definitions
4 meaningsTo (of a ghost) appear in a place regularly; to be persistently and distressingly present in a person's mind.
/hɔːnt/
To visit or appear to in the form of a ghost or spirit.
The old castle is rumored to be haunted.
💡 Simply: Imagine a scary ghost that loves to hang out in a place all the time, like a specific room or house, and it always feels spooky. Or, a bad memory that keeps coming back in your head.
👶 For kids: When a ghost keeps showing up in a place.
More Examples
Guilt haunted him for years after the accident.
The memory of her words still haunted him long after they had spoken.
How It's Used
"The old house is said to be haunted by the ghost of a sea captain."
"The shadows of the past haunt the protagonist throughout the novel."
To (of a feeling or thought) be persistently present in the mind.
/hɔːnt/
To be persistently and distressingly present in a person's mind.
The mistakes of the past still haunted him.
💡 Simply: Think of a really sad or bad memory that pops into your head all the time and makes you feel bad again. It's like it won't go away.
👶 For kids: When something sad or scary keeps coming back in your thoughts.
More Examples
Her failure to act haunted her conscience for years.
The music of that time haunted my memories.
How It's Used
"The trauma haunted her for years after the event."
"Regret would haunt him for the rest of his life."
To frequent a place, especially regularly or habitually.
/hɔːnt/
To frequent a place.
The students haunt the library during exam season.
💡 Simply: To go to a place often, like your favorite coffee shop or the library. You always go there.
👶 For kids: When you go to the same place a lot.
More Examples
He haunted the jazz clubs until the early hours.
This used to be my favorite place to haunt on a Friday night.
How It's Used
"The teenagers used to haunt the arcade on weekends."
"This is the bar I used to haunt back in college."
A place that is frequented by a specific person or thing.
/hɔːnt/
A place frequented by a specific person or thing.
This coffee shop is a haunt for local artists.
💡 Simply: Your favorite place to go. It's your regular spot.
👶 For kids: A place you like to go to often.
More Examples
The park was a favorite haunt for dog walkers.
The beach became her summer haunt every year.
How It's Used
"The old bookstore was a literary haunt for many famous authors."
"The local pub was the old man's favorite haunt."
Idioms & expressions
a haunted house
A house believed to be inhabited by ghosts.
"They visited a haunted house during their vacation."
haunted by memories
Feeling sad and troubled by past events.
"She was haunted by memories of the war."
From Middle English *haunten*, from Old French *hanter* (“to frequent, haunt”), from Frankish *heimtan* (“to inhabit, have as a home”).
The word 'haunt' has been used since the 14th century, initially to describe the repeated visiting of a place or the appearance of a ghost.
Memory tip
Imagine a ghost repeatedly appearing in a specific place, constantly haunting it.
Word Origin
"to frequent"