spectral
- 01 C1 Advanced
looking or sounding like a ghost; pale, thin, or not quite real.
resembling or characteristic of a spectre; having a ghostly or ethereal quality. Often used in literary contexts to describe light or figures.
Simple“The old house was filled with a strange, spectral light that made everyone feel uneasy.”
In context“The survivor emerged from the ruins with a spectral appearance, his face pale and his eyes hollow from the ordeal.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is almost exclusively found in fiction or descriptive writing; it is rarely used in everyday conversation.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
relating to the different colours or waves of light and energy.
relating to a spectrum, particularly the distribution of energy or light across different wavelengths.
Simple“Scientists used spectral analysis to find out what the distant star was made of.”
In context“The instrument measures the spectral signature of the gas, allowing researchers to identify specific chemical components with high precision.”
UsageUsually appears before a noun in scientific phrases like 'spectral analysis' or 'spectral lines'.
“Swathes of the country were plunged into an eerie darkness as the spectral glow of the Sun's outer corona shimmered out from the edges of the shadowy Moon.”
“She is haunted by Obsidia, a spectral child who comes to represent a version of herself.”
From spectre + -al.
From spectrum + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.