phantom
Other forms: phantoms
Look over there, across the room. Is that a phantom, some weary soul come back from the dead to haunt you? Maybe it’s a shadow, or maybe it’s a ghost. Either way, turn on a light and it’ll disappear. Hopefully.
Sleeping is difficult if there’s a phantom in your room, because who can rest with ghosts around? Some phantoms are real, but phantom can also be used to mean "a trick of the mind," like hearing a person outside your window, but then realizing it’s only the phantom rustling of leaves in a tree. Phantom limb is when someone loses an arm or leg, but their brain can still feel where their limb used to be.
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something existing in perception onlysynonyms: apparition, fantasm, phantasm, phantasma, shadowtypes:UFO, flying saucer, unidentified flying objectan (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial originsFlying Dutchmana phantom ship that is said to appear in storms near the Cape of Good Hope
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a ghostly appearing figuretypes:Flying Dutchmanthe captain of a phantom ship (the Flying Dutchman) who was condemned to sail against the wind until Judgment Daytype of:disembodied spirit, spiritany incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings
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apparently sensed but having no physical reality“seemed to hear faint phantom bells”“the amputee's illusion of a phantom limb”synonyms:unrealnot actually such; being or seeming fanciful or imaginary
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Vocabulary lists containing phantom
Rejoice, Star Wars fans! May the 4th is National Star Wars Day! The epic film series launched plenty of words — like Jedi and Wookiee — but it also made use of existing words, giving them a new spin, and a new force, if you will. Our Star Wars lexicon will serve you well in any galaxy. Read the full article here.
Vocabulary from Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."