# wraith

/ɹˈeɪθ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wraith
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

a ghost or a spirit of a person that people see shortly before or after they die. It can also describe someone who looks very thin, pale, and weak.

For teachers: an apparition or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death. Often used figuratively to describe a person who has become emaciated or pale due to illness.

## Examples

- The old stories tell of a wraith that haunts the castle ruins.
- After weeks of illness, he looked like a wraith of his former self, pale and barely able to stand.
- The poet described the morning mist as a collection of silver wraiths rising from the lake, vanishing as soon as the first rays of sunlight touched the water's surface.

## Usage notes

- Often used in the fixed phrase 'a wraith of one's former self' to describe extreme physical decline.

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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.