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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Learn several ghost expressions, including modern relationship slang, and choose language with care.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcript“Ghost” can be a verb for leaving an event without saying goodbye or ending contact without explanation. “A ghost of a chance” means an extremely small possibility; a “ghost town” has few or no residents; and a “ghost from the past” is an unwanted person or memory that returns.
Cultural note: “Ghost someone” is informal. In a dating or friendship context, it usually describes abruptly ending communication without explanation and may cause distress. “Ghostwriter” is a separate, neutral job title for a writer whose work is published under another person’s name.
Keep exploringGhost stories inspire everyday expressions for disappearing, tiny chances, empty places, and memories that return.
Phrase guide · 6 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe suddenly disappearing or ending contact.
Meaning
Leave an event without saying goodbye to the host or other people.
Tone & use
Informal. It usually describes slipping away quietly, rather than leaving because of an emergency.
Example
“I was tired, so I thanked the host and left instead of ghosting the party.”
Meaning
Abruptly end communication with a person without explanation.
Tone & use
Informal and common in dating or friendship discussions. It can be hurtful; use a direct, respectful message when it is safe to do so.
Example
“After a few dates, he stopped replying and she felt he had ghosted her.”
Use an emphatic expression for something very unlikely.
Meaning
A very small possibility that something will happen.
Tone & use
An emphatic way to say that success is extremely unlikely.
Example
“Without the required documents, we have only a ghost of a chance of finishing today.”
Recognize ghost-related nouns with different meanings.
Meaning
A place with few or no people living in it, often after businesses or jobs disappear.
Tone & use
Can be literal for an abandoned town or figurative for a place that is unusually empty.
Example
“The office felt like a ghost town during the holiday weekend.”
Meaning
A writer who creates work that is published under another person’s name.
Tone & use
A professional term, not a supernatural one. Ghostwriters may work on books, speeches, or other texts.
Example
“The actor thanked the ghostwriter who helped shape the memoir.”
Meaning
A person, memory, or problem from the past that returns, often unwelcome.
Tone & use
Figurative. It can be dramatic or humorous, but may sound negative.
Example
“An old argument resurfaced when the former partners met; it felt like a ghost from the past.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
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