phantom2 adjectiveadj [only before noun] 1 literary seeming to appear to someone 幽灵似的,如梦如幻的 2 not real, but seeming real to the person affected 虚幻的;幻觉的 a phantom pregnancy 精神性假妊娠
nphantom limb (=an arm or leg that someone feels they still have after it has been cut off)
nphantom fat (=fat that someone believes they still have after they have lost weight)
3 made to seem real in order to deceive people 虚假的 Phantom contracts were used to make the company seem more successful than it was. 为让公司业务显得比实际上兴旺,使用了假合同。
4 used humorously to describe an unknown person that you blame for something annoying 〔指责对象〕身份不明的〔幽默用法〕 The phantom pen stealer strikes again! 那个神秘的偷笔人又下手了!