Ghosts are spooky, but they also make their way into our everyday language through idioms! Idioms are phrases where the words together have a different meaning than the words individually. This post explores fun ghost-themed idioms that are commonly used in English. Let’s dive into the mysterious world of ghost idioms!
Ghost Idioms
Here are 20 ghost idioms in English.
1. Ghost of a chance
Meaning: Very little possibility
Example: He has a ghost of a chance of winning.
2. Give up the ghost
Meaning: To stop working; die
Example: My old car finally gave up the ghost.
3. Ghost town
Meaning: An abandoned place
Example: That village is a ghost town now.
4. Ghost writer
Meaning: An anonymous writer
Example: She used a ghost writer for her novel.
5. Ghost in the machine
Meaning: Hidden problem
Example: There’s a ghost in the machine causing errors.
6. Not a ghost of a chance
Meaning: No possibility at all
Example: There’s not a ghost of a chance it’ll work.
7. Lay the ghost to rest
Meaning: Put an end to something
Example: We need to lay these rumors to rest.
8. As pale as a ghost
Meaning: Very pale
Example: He turned as pale as a ghost.
9. Ghosting someone
Meaning: Ignoring someone deliberately
Example: He’s ghosting his ex-girlfriend.
10. Like a ghost
Meaning: Hardly noticeable
Example: She moved through the crowd like a ghost.
11. Ghost at the feast
Meaning: A reminder of something bad
Example: He was the ghost at the feast.
12. Ghost image
Meaning: Faint duplicate image
Example: The printer left a ghost image.
13. To ghost around
Meaning: Move quietly or unseen
Example: He was ghosting around the office.
14. Scared like a ghost
Meaning: Extremely scared
Example: She looked scared like a ghost.
15. Ghost of a smile
Meaning: Very slight smile
Example: There was a ghost of a smile on her face.
16. Haunt like a ghost
Meaning: To frequently visit
Example: Memories haunt me like a ghost.
17. Ghost from the past
Meaning: Something from the past resurfacing
Example: He’s a ghost from her past.
18. Make a ghost of
Meaning: To kill or eliminate
Example: The villain made a ghost of his rival.
19. Ghost of itself
Meaning: A shadow of its former self
Example: The team is a ghost of itself.
20. Chasing ghosts
Meaning: Pursuing something unattainable
Example: They’re just chasing ghosts with that plan.
