banshees

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableliterary

   In Irish and Scottish folklore, female spirits whose wailing is said to warn of a death.

   Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'banshee' and the plural is 'banshees'.

   Patterns

   • a banshee wails
   • the cry of a banshee
   • like a banshee

   Old stories say banshees were heard crying outside the house the night he died.

   In the film, three banshees drift through the fog, warning of the coming battle.

   She screamed like a banshee when she saw the spider.

Word forms

Common combinations

wail like a banshee

The wind wailed like a banshee around the old tower.

scream like a banshee

The toddler screamed like a banshee when his toy broke.

the cry of a banshee

Villagers claimed the cry of a banshee came from the hills.

Synonyms and how they differ

ghost

A ghost is a general spirit of the dead; a banshee is specifically a wailing female spirit that foretells a death.

spirit

Spirit is a broad word for any supernatural being; banshee is one particular kind from Irish and Scottish tradition.

Word family

banshee noun

the singular form of the same word

Commonly confused: banshees or banshi?

Practice

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