haunting

haunt-ing · adjective/verb

imported

Definitions

adjective/verb

  1. 1.

    Poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget.

  2. 2.

    Present participle of "haunt."

  3. 3.

    Having a quality of sadness or eeriness that stays with you.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    haunting melody — a tune that stays in one's memory
  • •
    haunting beauty — an alluring quality that is difficult to forget
  • •
    haunting images — visual memories that persist

Related words

Antonyms: forgettable, ordinary, unremarkable
See also: evocative, haunt, haunted, memorable
Synonyms: eerie, evocative, memorable, poignant, unforgettable

Etymology

From Old French hanter ("to frequent"), of Germanic origin. As an adjective, it describes something that lingers in the mind like a ghost haunts a place.