I. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from haunten + -ing
: an act of frequenting especially by a disembodied spirit
simply not the case that all incumbents vouched for hauntings — A.G.N.Flew
the beech forests harbor silence and strange hauntings — Times Literary Supplement
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from present participle of haunten to haunt — more at haunt
: that haunts: as
a. : lingering in the consciousness : not readily forgotten
the cathedral organ and the distant voices have a haunting beauty — Claudia Cassidy
b. : having a disquieting effect : disturbing
from two handsome and talented young men to two haunting horrors of disintegration — Charles Lee
• haunt·ing·ly adverb