Fantasma

Fantasma (fahn-TAHS-ma)

Noun · Masculine

  1. Ghost; phantom; spirit
  2. Illusion; figment of the imagination
  3. Show-off; pretentious person (informal)
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Examples Icon Example Sentences
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Vi un fantasma en el cementerio.

I saw a ghost in the cemetery.

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No puede escapar del fantasma de su pasado.

He can’t escape the ghost of his past.

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No le creas nada, es un fantasma.

Don’t believe him, he’s a show-off.

Word Origin Icon Word Origin

Originates from Latin phantasma, which in turn comes from the Greek phántasma (appearance, vision), derived from phaínein (“to show, to appear”).

Culture Icon Culture

Fantasma not only refers to ghosts in folklore and religious beliefs but is also widely used figuratively to describe fears, memories, or even boastful people in everyday speech.

Fun Fact Icon Fun Fact

Fantasma was once used in medieval literature to describe visions in dreams or hallucinations, not just spooky spirits.

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