phantom

USFAN-tuhm/ˈfæntəm/

7 meanings of phantom

1
ghostnouncountable or uncountable
A ghost, or a strange shape that seems to appear like one.
The kids thought a phantom lived in the empty house at the end of the street.
In the story, a phantom in a white dress walks through the garden at night.
Similarghost, apparition, specter, spirit, wraith
Note
2
fakeadjective
Not real, or not really existing.
The bill had a phantom charge for a service we never used.
The company paid phantom workers who did not really exist.
UsageUse it before a noun: phantom workers are not real.
Similarfictitious, nonexistent, fake, imaginary
Oppositereal, genuine
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
Something you think you see, hear, or feel, but that is not really there.
The noise I heard in the night was only a phantom of my tired mind.
After two nights without sleep, he started seeing phantoms in the dark.
UsagePeople chase phantoms when they try to deal with problems that are not real.
Similarillusion, delusion, hallucination, chimera
4
adjective
Seeming to be real, but only an illusion.
On the hot road, we saw a phantom puddle that disappeared as we got closer.
In the dark hallway, he saw phantom shapes that were only coats on hooks.
UsageUse it before a noun: phantom vibrations.
Similarillusory, imaginary, deceptive
Oppositereal
Note
5
microphone powernouncolloquialuncountableabbreviation
Short for phantom power: the power a mixer sends down a cable to run some microphones.
The microphone stayed silent until she turned on phantom.
Without phantom, the studio microphone makes no sound.
UsageSay turn on phantom.
6
medical imagingnouncountable or uncountable
In medical scans, an object that copies how human body tissue behaves, used for testing.
The hospital tested the new scanner on a phantom instead of a real person.
The phantom looked like a plastic chest with fake bones inside.
Note

Less common meaning

7
noun
In the card game bridge, a pretend pair used when there is an odd number of pairs.

Practice

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Origin

From a Greek word meaning “an image” or “a ghost,” through Latin and French.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The Greek source word can mean an image. atlas.perseus.tufts.edu
The Greek source word can mean a ghost. en.wiktionary.org
The word passed from Greek through Latin and French. en.wiktionary.org