Idiom
ghost at the feast
Meaning
A presence that mars one's enjoyment by causing guilt or reviving unwelcome memories.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His sad face was a ghost at the feast during our party.”
“Even though the celebration was lively, the mention of the lost contract acted like a ghost at the feast.”
“The presence of the disgraced former director at the anniversary gala served as a ghost at the feast, casting a long shadow over the evening's festivities.”
Examples
simple
“His sad face was a ghost at the feast during our party.”
contextual
“Even though the celebration was lively, the mention of the lost contract acted like a ghost at the feast.”
complex
“The presence of the disgraced former director at the anniversary gala served as a ghost at the feast, casting a long shadow over the evening's festivities.”
Origin
After Banquo in Shakespeare's Macbeth (1606); Macbeth murders Banquo, whose mutilated body subsequently appears at a feast as a ghost, unseen by all but Macbeth.
Key words
Related idioms
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