# spooky

/ˈspuki/ (US) · /spˈuːki/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spooky
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. eerie or ghostly

adjective · CEFR B1 · Informal

strange and scary in a way that makes you think of ghosts or the supernatural.

For teachers: suggestive of ghosts or the supernatural; evoking a sense of eerie unease.

- The old house at the end of the street looks very spooky at night.
- The abandoned asylum had a spooky atmosphere that made the urban explorers feel as though they were being watched from the shadows.

### 2. skittish or nervous

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Dialect

easily scared or nervous, especially used for animals like horses.

For teachers: unpredictably excitable or skittish; prone to being easily startled.

- The horse became spooky when the loud motorcycle drove past the field.
- The trainer warned that the young mare was particularly spooky in high winds, often bolting at the slightest movement of the trees.

Usage: Commonly used in equestrian contexts to describe a horse's temperament.

## Examples

- The old house looks very spooky at night.
- We heard a spooky noise coming from the attic, but it was just the wind.
- The forest took on a spooky quality as the fog rolled in, obscuring the path and muffling the sounds of our footsteps.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.