haunting

Everyday

1. Of a ghost: visiting a place again and again (in stories). tree →
2. Of a memory or worry: staying in your mind and troubling you. tree →
3. (adjective) Beautiful, sad or strange in a way you cannot forget: a haunting tune. tree →

In the lessons

In spooky stories and at Halloween; in music and poetry reviews describing a sad, beautiful sound. Phrases: a haunting melody, a haunting memory, haunting the castle.

Examples

• A ghost is said to be haunting the old castle. tree →
• The song has a haunting melody. tree →
• The haunting cry of the owl echoed through the woods. tree →
• That mistake kept haunting him for weeks. tree →
• The film's last scene is haunting. tree →
• People say a grey lady is haunting the library. tree →
• But after a time a Baba Yaga took to haunting their hut and sucking the breasts of the merchant's daughter. tree →

Note

Adjective use is about feelings, not ghosts: a haunting tune is just very moving. Related: haunted (a haunted house). Ghosts are not proven to be real; haunting is used in stories and legends.