Throng

[David Myer]

I recently came upon the headline "The air is thronged with ghosts".

It jarred a little. Thronged is far too physical a concept to be associated with ethereals such as air and ghosts, surely? A throng of ghosts? I don't think so. But what word should we use as a collective for ghosts? A cloud of ghosts? A mist of ghosts? The air was misted with ghosts?

[Slava]

Thick? Miasmal?

[David Myer]

I see that various websites suggest a 'fright of ghosts'. But I don;'t like that. Not all ghosts are frightening in my experience. Anyway a collective noun should capture the feel of lots of them. Most popular collective nouns fail on that score in my view.

Miasma is usually to do with unpleasant smells and I don't think that's an issue for ghosts. They don't need to shower daily.

No, I like a cloud. There may be a name for the specific clouds that waft about thinly. A cumulus of ghosts?

[Slava]

I'm now thinking it depends on what kind of ghosts they are, and the atmosphere you wish to convey. A heavy hearted person might be shrouded in a nimbus of ghosts, though nimbus can also be a light aura. A room might be heavy with the ghosts of ages past. And so on.