wraith

[ reyth ]

noun

1. an apparition of a living person supposed to portend their death.
2. a visible spirit.

wraith

/ reɪθ /

noun

1. the apparition of a person living or thought to be alive, supposed to appear around the time of his death
2. a ghost or any apparition
3. an insubstantial copy of something
4. something pale, thin, and lacking in substance, such as a column of smoke

Derived Forms

• ˈwraithˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• wraithlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wraith¹

First recorded in 1505–15; originally Scots; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of wraith¹

C16: Scottish, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

He arrived to find a wraith in her 80s, down to 75 pounds, suffering from multiple cancers that had disfigured her face.

From Los Angeles Times

It is also alleged that the rapper was driving a Rolls-Royce Wraith while using a hand-held phone shortly after 15:30 GMT on 7 March on Addison Road, west Kensington.

From BBC

Defence barrister Nigel Wraith said Curtis was "clearly overwhelmed" by the number of dogs she had.

From BBC

The original Beetlejuice, which starred Michael Keaton as an obnoxious wraith hired to help scare away a house's pretentious inhabitants, was released back in 1988.

From BBC

Faust’s mother was a wraith of a woman, likely anorexic, who had given up on any identity outside motherhood and who “saw the world as a dangerous place for women, for their bodies and their reputations.”

From Los Angeles Times