ghoul

noun

ˈgül 

1

: a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses

2

: one suggestive of a ghoul

especially : one who shows morbid interest in things considered shocking or repulsive

Synonyms

• cacodemon
• demon
• daemon
• devil
• fiend
• ghost
• ghoulie
• imp
• shaitan

Examples of ghoul in a Sentence

in Arabic folklore, ghouls could change their shapes but had one unchanging feature: donkey's hooves for feet

Recent Examples on the Web

But Eggers wants the undead ghoul at the center of his new Nosferatu remake to leave you feeling something much more basic (though not necessarily simple) and carnal. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024

Nicolas Cage went for a high-concept ghoul in Longlegs; Hugh Grant reveled in professorial malevolence in Heretic; Naomi Scott unraveled in the face of grinning death in Smile 2. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024

Monstrous ghouls cheering after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Wednesday are ubiquitous on social media. —Dominic Pino, National Review, 5 Dec. 2024

In Fallout, ghouls have extended lifespans and are impervious to things that would kill humans, like losing a limb or eating rotten flesh. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ghūl

First Known Use

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ghoul

noun

ˈgül 

1

: an evil being of legend that robs graves and feeds on corpses

2

: a person (as a grave robber) whose activities suggest those of a ghoul

ghoulish

ˈgü-lish 

adjective

ghoulishly adverb

ghoulishness noun