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 That feeling is not helped by looking at the others around you, who, in the eerie, silvery light, suddenly look almost ghoulish. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The Ghastly Grotto started its life as a simple CostCo shed, but Mitchell has since turned it into a full-scale tiki bar, with niches and grottos packed with art, figurines and other bric-a-brac, all with a ghoulish bent. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026 But my deepest, most ghoulish questions, no investigation could answer. — Literary Hub, 10 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 See All Example Sentences for ghoulish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghoulish

Adjective

Many of these ghostly impressions and meanings have survived to the present day.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
And there’s this sort of strange, ghostly expectancy, which is quite weird, a mixture of apprehension and fear.

— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ghostly

Adjective

The Sentinel-2 pair observe and capture imagery of our planet in different wavelengths using a high-resolution multispectral imager that can see 13 different spectral bands, or ranges of wavelengths.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Glimmers of that surprise — and the spectral essence of mutability that attends to it — can be found in every shot, some of them more than others.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of spectral

Adjective

The results in Game 1 were ghastly, reminding fans of the infinibuild Oilers who could not and would not play defence.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Does the movie go too easy on the man who eventually gave us Fox News and decades of ghastly politics?

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of ghastly

Adjective

Graveyards, which would seem haunted by definition, are popular destinations, and a few in the state are legendary for their eerie atmospheres and ghost sightings.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
See 15 inflatables and eight animatronics lining the lawn, creating a scene that’s both eerie and whimsical to delights neighbors.

— Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of eerie

Adjective

From giant pumpkins to elaborate tableaux, the displays have taken on a life of their own, as locals and visitors crawl the city for the spookiest steps.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Starting October 20, once again, the Golden Arches are ringing in the spookiest time of year with their iconic Boo Buckets.

— Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of spooky

Adjective

What unfolds is a heartbreaking, at times haunting story about a little boy who strove to become a legend, and the woman who understood his manic, at times reckless drive.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
For decades, the 1934 photograph of the Loch Ness Monster was a haunting image of a lost world.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of haunting

Adjective

Fashion goths — think Gabbriette, Amelia Gray, and Tish Weinstock — are resetting the aesthetic mainstream, taking otherwise dark and creepy aesthetics away from the margins of subculture.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
The model called upon a team of stylists to turn her into the creepy and scaly figure of Greek myth.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ghoulish

adjective

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