spöka

spöke (“ghost”) +‎ -a. Sense 4 is a calque of English ghost (verb).

spöka (present spökar, preterite spökade, supine spökat, imperative spöka)

1. (intransitive, of a ghost or the like) to engage in ghostly activity; to haunt, etc.

   Synonym: hemsöka

   Vissa tror att den döda kungen fortfarande spökar i korridorerna i sitt gamla slott

   Some believe that the dead king still haunts the halls of his old castle

   (literally, “Some believe that the dead king still ghosts [appears as a ghost] in the corridors in his old castle”)

   Ungarna tog på sig vita lakan och spökade för farmor

   The kids put on white sheets and played ghosts [implied – engaged in ghostly activity] for grandma

   (literally, “The young [kids, colloquially] put on white sheets and ghosted for paternal grandmother”)

2. (impersonal) to be ghostly activity; to be haunted, etc.

   Det spökar på slottet

   The castle is haunted

   (literally, “It ghosts [is ghostly activity] at the castle”)

   Jag tror att det spökar härinne

   I think this place is haunted

   (literally, “I think that [optional] it ghosts [is ghostly activity] in here”)

   Det spökar som mest under spöktimmen

   Ghosts are most active during the witching hour / Ghostly activity is at its highest during the witching hour

   (literally, “It ghosts the most [is the most ghostly activity] during the ghost hour [witching hour]”)

3. (figurative, intransitive) to haunt (cause recurring unease or discomfort)

   Synonym: hemsöka

   Min son kan inte sova om nätterna. Kan det vara de kommande proven som spökar?

   My son can't sleep at night. Could the upcoming tests be haunting him?

4. (transitive) to ghost (to leave a romantic or sexual relationship with no prior announcement)

• spöka ut (“dress outrageously”)

• spökeri

• hemsökt (“haunted”)

• spöka in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• spöka in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• spöka in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)