GHOULISH Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

ghoulish

adjective

Definition of ghoulish

as in ghostly

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ghoulish But my deepest, most ghoulish questions, no investigation could answer. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 The fear and horror is handled dramatically without becoming grisly or ghoulish. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026 Concept art for Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake shows the street party will include familiar Haunted Mansion characters like the cemetery caretaker, grave diggers, ballroom dancers and a few ghoulish ghosts. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 2 June 2026 The ghoulish gathering is intended for attendees 17 and older. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghoulish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghoulish

Adjective

Everything reached her from far away; her sensations were ghostly.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Roth asks in one, referencing the ghostly figure careening overhead.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of ghostly

Adjective

But Roman's spectral studies will have lower resolution over a large area, while Hubble's has higher resolution over a small area.

— Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Stars are arranged by spectral class; from hot to cool, the classes are O, B, A, F, G, K, M, L, T, and Y.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of spectral

Adjective

Wilson was a ghastly 6 of 21 from the free-throw line and led all summer leaguers in turnovers despite only playing 110 minutes.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Wilder’s work has since faced criticism for depicting some ghastly attitudes toward Native Americans.

— Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of ghastly

Adjective

In a campaign known as Operation Wandering Soul, US forces played recordings of eerie sounds and voices where combatants were fighting in the jungle.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
At maximum eclipse, much of the moon may take on an eerie reddish hue as sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere is refracted into the shadow and onto the lunar surface.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of eerie

Adjective

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz and the Deetz family offer a slightly spookier option for families looking beyond traditional matching costumes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Flitting between deadpan sorrow and impassioned romance, Bridgers’ album is alternately spooky, hilarious, mysterious and sneakily moving.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of spooky

Adjective

The comment takes on a haunting resonance three months later, after Panettiere was found unresponsive on a Sunday.

— Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
The result is a haunting portrait of social collapse whose power is premised on the words and faces of survivors.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of haunting

Adjective

After a brief stay in a very creepy hospital (unsettlingly empty) Hal and John reunite.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Meta is rolling out an obvious fix to make its AI glasses less creepy amid backlash over the glasses’ non-consensual recordings that have flooded the Internet.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of creepy

Browse Nearby Words

ghoulies

ghoulish

ghoulishness

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“Ghoulish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghoulish. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ghoulish

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

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