What does "haunt" mean?

1. (ghosts visiting a place) to visit or live in a place as a ghost. 2. (memories or feelings) to stay in your mind for a long time in an unpleasant way. 3. (a regular place) a place that you visit often because you like it. 4. (a ghost) another word for a ghost or a spirit.

haunt

v. · n.

US //ˈhɔnt// UK //hˈɔːnt// haunt

1 ghosts visiting a place (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to visit or live in a place as a ghost.

to manifest as a ghost or spirit in a specific location. Transitive, taking the location as a direct object.

Example

Locals say that the ghost of a grey lady haunts the old castle library.

Example

Legend has it that the spirit of the former lighthouse keeper continues to haunt the cliffs, appearing only during the most violent winter storms.
- inhabit
- possess
2 memories or feelings (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to stay in your mind for a long time in an unpleasant way.

to recur persistently in the mind of a person, typically causing distress or anxiety.

Example

The memory of the car accident continued to haunt him for many years.

Example

The missed opportunity to reconcile with his father would haunt him for the rest of his professional life, influencing every decision he made.

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3 a regular place (n.)
C1 Advanced Literary

a place that you visit often because you like it.

a place frequented by a specified person or group of people.

Example

The quiet café in the corner of the park was her favourite haunt.

Example

The old tavern had once been a popular haunt for local poets and revolutionary thinkers before it was converted into a modern boutique.
4 a ghost (n.)
C2 Proficiency Dialect

another word for a ghost or a spirit.

a ghost or supernatural apparition. This usage is restricted to specific regional varieties.

Example

The children were afraid to go into the woods, fearing they might see a haunt.

Example

In the folklore of the region, a haunt is said to guard the entrance to the hidden valley, deterring any unwanted travellers.

Origin

From Middle English haunten (“to reside, inhabit, use, employ”), from Old French hanter (“to inhabit, frequent, resort to”), from Old Northern French hanter (“to go back home, frequent”), from Old Norse heimta (“to bring home, fetch”) or/and from Old English hāmettan (“to bring home; house; cohabit with”); both from Proto-Germanic haimatjaną (“to house, bring home”), from Proto-Germanic haimaz (“village, home”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos (“village”). Cognate with Old English hǣman (“to cohabit, lie with, marry”); related to Old English hām (“home, village”), Old French hantin (“a stay, a place frequented by”) from the same Germanic source. Another descendant from the French is Dutch hanteren, whence German hantieren, Swedish hantera, Danish håndtere. More at home.