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

• demon
• ghost
• vampire
• devil

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

Some titles are now out of print, but these classic horror stories are a great foray into the world of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. —Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 10 Apr. 2025

Despite those forty-three words, the ghoul that the North Carolina Freedmen’s Convention feared most had risen—caste preservationists debuted a new caste system. —Literary Hub, 5 June 2025

It was filled with hideous props — ghouls and skeletons crafted of balsa wood, wax, and papier-mâché. —Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025

The episode continues the momentum with an extended stalker-vision first-person shot, as an unseen person creeps inexorably into an unidentified home at night, eventually revealing the Empire ghoul who tortured our gal Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) last season. —Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ghūl

First Known Use

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ghoul

• boule
• brule
• buhl
• cool
• drool
• fool
• mule
• pool
• poul
• rule
• school
• spool

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