spooky

spooky — adjective

1. If a place, situation, sound, or story is spooky, it makes you feel frightened a

1.形容詞B1
釋義

If a place, situation, sound, or story is spooky, it makes you feel frightened and unsettled at the same time — as if something strange, ghostly, or impossible to explain is nearby.

例句

The stone house on Cedar Lane looked spooky with dark windows and a broken gate.

collocation: spooky house / spooky place

Talia's brother refused to sleep alone after a spooky story about a ghost in the closet.

collocation: spooky story

同義詞
  • creepy

    more informal, suggests a crawling unease on the skin

  • eerie

    more literary, emphasises a strange quietness or emptiness

  • scary

    broader meaning, does not carry the supernatural tone

反義詞

用法筆記

Common in informal conversation. Often describes places (old houses, dark forests), sounds, or stories connected to the supernatural or the unknown, rather than ordinary danger like a fast car or a steep drop.

常見錯誤

❌The roller coaster was spooky.
✅The roller coaster was scary.
💡spooky is about eerie, supernatural kinds of fear, not thrilling danger.

2. (of a horse or other animal) likely to become suddenly frightened and react wild

2.形容詞B2
釋義

(of a horse or other animal) likely to become suddenly frightened and react wildly because of unexpected noises, movements, or sights that most animals ignore.

例句

The grey mare is spooky — she bolts whenever a tractor rattles past the fence.

specialised use: horses, trigger + reaction

Yumi's pony is too spooky for children; a bird taking flight makes it jump sideways.

structure: too [adj] for [noun phrase]

同義詞
  • skittish

    the most common synonym for horses; spooky is less formal

  • nervous

    broader, applies to people and animals equally

  • jumpy

    informal, suggests sudden physical reactions

反義詞
  • calm

    steady and relaxed

  • steady

    not easily upset or surprised

用法筆記

Applied mainly to horses and some other animals (dogs, livestock). Used of a person only in a joking or affectionate way: 'Don't be so spooky — it was just the wind.'

常見錯誤

❌The child was too spooky to walk to school alone.
✅The child was too frightened to walk to school alone.
💡spooky meaning 'easily frightened' is mainly for animals, not people.