ghost town.

1. A settlement largely or entirely abandoned by its inhabitants.

2. A normally occupied place that is temporarily almost empty, used figuratively.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• former mining ghost town
• abandoned ghost town
• become a ghost town

On the page

After the railway changed routes, the settlement became a ghost town.

Names remained on the ghost town's mailboxes, though no one collected the post.

During the holiday shutdown, the business district felt like a ghost town.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting. An established compound about depopulation, not proof of supernatural activity. Figuratively, a normally busy place temporarily deserted. Plural: ghost towns. No other inflection applies to this noun.