Polyglot Dictionary

Schreckgespenst

/ˈʃrɛkɡəˌʃpɛnst/

das noun B2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

N Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

plural
die Schreckgespenster

Meaning

  1. bogeyman, frightening apparition

    Built from Schreck (fright) + Gespenst (ghost).

N Category Thing Concreteness Concrete Animacy Inanimate Countability Countable Scope Individual

Made of

  • Schreck fright
  • Gespenst ghost

Usage notes

Used for an imagined, legendary frightening figure, similar to the English bogeyman.

Practice

1 What does Schreckgespenst mean?

2 Fill the gap: Kinder erzählten sich Geschichten über das ___ im alten Haus.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches Schreckgespenst?

nouncompound

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