A ghostly appearing figure:
— We were unprepared for the apparition that confronted us.

synonyms: fantasm, phantasm, phantasma, phantom, specter, spectre.

Roget 443: dim sight, dull sight half sight, short sight, near sight, long sight, double sight, astigmatic sight, failing sight; dimsightedness &c.; purblindness, lippitude^†; myopia, presbyopia^†; confusion of vision; astigmatism; color blindness, chromato pseudo blepsis^†, Daltonism; nyctalopia^†; strabismus, strabism^†, squint; blearedness^†, day blindness, hemeralopia^†, nystagmus; xanthocyanopia^†, xanthopsia [Med.]; cast in the eye, swivel eye, goggle-eyes; obliquity of vision.    winking etc. v.; nictitation; blinkard^†, albino.    dizziness, swimming, scotomy^†; cataract; ophthalmia.    [Limitation of vision] blinker; screen etc. (hider) 530.    [Fallacies of vision] deceptio visus [Lat.]; refraction, distortion, illusion, false light, anamorphosis^†, virtual image, spectrum, mirage, looming, phasma^†; phantasm, phantasma^†, phantom; vision; specter, apparition, ghost; ignis fatuus [Lat.] etc. (luminary) 423; specter of the Brocken; magic mirror; magic lantern etc. (show) 448; mirror lens etc. (instrument) 445.    ... show more

Dutch: spook, geest
Polish: mamidło, widmo, widziadło, zjawa

The appearance of a ghostlike figure.

Dutch: apparitie, verschijning, visioen

Something existing in perception only:
— A ghostly apparition at midnight.

synonyms: fantasm, phantasm, phantasma, phantom, shadow.

Roget 980: demon, daemon, demonry^†, demonology; evil genius, fiend, familiar, daeva^†, devil; bad spirit, unclean spirit; cacodemon^†, incubus, Eblis, shaitan^†, succubus, succuba; Frankenstein's monster; Titan, Shedim, Mephistopheles, Asmodeus^†, Moloch, Belial, Ahriman^†; fury, harpy; Friar Rush.    vampire, ghoul; afreet^†, barghest^†, Loki; ogre, ogress; gnome, gin, jinn, imp, deev^†, lamia^†; bogie, bogeyman, bogle^†; nis^†, kobold^†, flibbertigibbet, fairy, brownie, pixy, elf, dwarf, urchin; Puck, Robin Goodfellow; leprechaun, Cluricaune^†, troll, dwerger^†, sprite, ouphe^†, bad fairy, nix, nixie, pigwidgeon^†, will-o'-the wisp.    [Supernatural appearance] ghost, revenant, specter, apparition, spirit, shade, shadow, vision; hobglobin, goblin, orc; wraith, spook, boggart^†, banshee, loup-garou [Fr.], lemures^†; evil eye.    merman, mermaid, merfolk^†; siren; satyr, faun; manito^†, manitou, manitu.    possession, demonic possession, diabolic possession; insanity etc. 503.    [in jest, in science] Maxwell's demon.    [person possessed by a demon] demoniac.    ... show more

An act of appearing or becoming visible unexpectedly.

Dutch: verschijning