kɹiːp ɡəʊst ɡoʊst ˈspɛktɚ ˈspɛktə spuːk spuːk ˈwɪədəʊ ˈwɪəɹdoʊ ɹeɪθ frighten or scare, and often provoke into a violent action The noise spooked the horse a mental representation of some haunting experience he looked like he had seen a ghost it aroused specters from his past someone unpleasantly strange or eccentric