ghost at the feast
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.
“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.”
first recorded 17th c.
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.
- 01
feast or famine
A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.
- 02
ghost from one's past
Something unpleasant from one's past that "haunts" them (makes them feel uneasy) to the present day.
- 03
ghost home
A residence intentionally kept vacant by an absentee owner, especially a foreign investor, as a financially safe asset to be liquidated at a convenient time.
- 04
give up the ghost
To cease clinging to life; to die.
- 05
skeleton at the feast
One whose presence brings gloom to a joyous occasion.
- 06
yield the ghost
To give up the ghost.
- 07
yield up the ghost
For a person, to die.
Last updated August 10, 2026