ghoul

\ ˈgül

How to pronounce ghoul (audio)

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Definition of ghoul

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

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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 As soon as the Halloween ghouls and harvest pumpkins shuffle off the shelves, retailers start decking their halls in earnest. — Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, "Why Do Some People Hate Christmas? It's Actually More Common Than You Think," 30 Sep. 2019 Then there’s Mort, a ghoul who frequents the Wayward and is happy to share his knowledge about the inner workings of the wasteland. — Sarah Leboeuf, Ars Technica, "Fallout 76’s “Wastelanders” expansion makes West Virginia feel like home," 24 Apr. 2020 Grab your fellow goblins and ghouls and head out for some Spooktacular fun at the city’s top bars to get a dose of the best Halloween cocktails BACARDÍ has to offer. — Holly Baumbach, chicagotribune.com, "Things to do in Chicago today | Oct. 31," 31 Oct. 2019 Dear Readers: Tonight’s the night for ghosts, gremlins, ghouls and goblins! — Heloise, Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Halloween rules for little goblins and ghouls," 31 Oct. 2019 On Halloween night the Schuelke home on Cannery Court in Forest Hill is always an attraction filled with a host of ghosts, ghouls and other spooky surprises for trick-or-treaters young and old. — Erika Butler, baltimoresun.com, "‘Scary Mr. Craig’s house’ draws hundreds to Forest Hill neighborhood on Halloween," 29 Oct. 2019 These adults-only parties exclude the little ghouls and goblins. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Ultimate guide to Halloween 2019 in Phoenix: Haunted houses, family events, adult parties," 25 Oct. 2019 The undefeatable country has already been defeated, less by the virus itself than by a frail healthcare system, decrepit institutions, and a discourse populated by idiots, ogres, and ghouls. — Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, "The Deranged Push to Get Americans Back to Work," 26 Mar. 2020 Zemeckis, with the help of the special effects supervisor Stan Winston, transformed a hammy Lloyd into a headless ghoul who grows only more talkative and unhinged after he is beheaded. — Simon Abrams, New York Times, "Why Was ‘Amazing Stories’ Rebooted? These 7 Episodes Help Explain," 6 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ghoul.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ghoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghoul. Accessed 3 Jun. 2020.

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