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Definition of phantom

phantom

/ˈfæn.təm/
phan · tom
Plural:phantoms
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phantom Lexical Profile

phantom Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A ghost, specter, or disembodied spirit that appears to the living.

Example

"Local folklore claims that a pale phantom wanders the halls of the abandoned theater at midnight."

2

A figment of the imagination or a mental illusion without physical reality.

Example

"The exhausted travelers realized the oasis they saw on the horizon was merely a phantom."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• adjective

1

Not real or existing only in the imagination or perception; illusory or fictitious.

Example

"The patient continued to experience phantom pain in his leg months after the amputation."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for phantom

• Nearby Words

phallus
phalocallis
phalsa
phantom
phantomlike
pharaoh
pharaonic

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French 'fantosme', which came via Latin from Ancient Greek 'phantasma' ('image, apparition'), derived from 'phantazein' ('to make visible').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Phantom. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/phantom
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