Ghost means: A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
ghost
A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~2010 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
なぜ Rust なのか https://voluntas.ghost.io/why-rust/
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BlueskyMay 2026
"Hey, what's a vegetable that can ruin any dish by just being there?" The helpful ghost who is based and epic:
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BlueskyMay 2026
Researchers analyzing nearly 200 Indigenous genomes from across North and South America have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown “ghost” population that contributed to modern Indigenous ancestry. By sequencing…
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BlueskyMay 2026
I also don't understand what it's supposed to be saying? What is the satire here? Why is he a ghost?
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BlueskyMay 2026
Neighbourhood meaning local elections I guess? Ghost to justify use of the Ghostbusters quote and turn it into one of the old Jewish slavering caricatures maybe. Who knows what acrobatics go through the minds of far…
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.
Everyone believed that the ghost of an old lady haunted the crypt.
Origin: The is derived from , from , gǣst (compare modern ), from , from , from , from *ǵʰéysd-. The h in the spelling appears in the Prologue to William Caxton’s Royal Book, printed in 1484, in a reference to the “Holy Ghoost”. It was likely influenced by , a common variant of geest. Both Caxton and his assistant Wynkyn de Worde had connections to the Low Countries. . The and are derived from the noun. The verb gained prominence in the 2010s. * , gejst * * * * , Jeest * , ghaist * * * * *. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Ghost means: A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
ghost means: A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“なぜ Rust なのか https://voluntas.ghost.io/why-rust/”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"Hey, what's a vegetable that can ruin any dish by just being there?" The helpful ghost who is based and epic:”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Researchers analyzing nearly 200 Indigenous genomes from across North and South America have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown “ghost” population that contributed to modern Indigenous ancestry. By sequencing DNA from diverse groups, including Andean communities such as”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I also don't understand what it's supposed to be saying? What is the satire here? Why is he a ghost?”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Neighbourhood meaning local elections I guess? Ghost to justify use of the Ghostbusters quote and turn it into one of the old Jewish slavering caricatures maybe. Who knows what acrobatics go through the minds of far right newspapers.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US
(Christianity, literary, chiefly, archaic) A spirit; a human soul.
He believes in ghosts.
Cluster: approval
Heard in the wild
“Feed: "The Ghost In My Machine" By: Lucia on Monday, May 4, 2026”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ghost Machine: The Official Guidebook #2 preview. This second volume covers the second half of The Unnamed from Johnny Appleseed to Zigzag the three-eyed zebra! #comics #comicbooks”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)/Fallout (2018) Directors: Brad Bird (Ghost Protocol)/Christopher McQuarrie (Fallout)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“#NowPlaying I Believe in Ghost by Kacey Musgraves in TidalHiFi tidal.com/track/519996...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“ftb stands for penis sex 4th and the ghost appeared in my spot bro"”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#3·Apr 27, 2026US
(by extension) Any faint shadowy semblance; an unsubstantial image.
I thought that I had died in sleep/And was a blessed ghost
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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