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 Your friends and family won’t be able to resist smiling at their ghoulish greeting. — Madison Yauger, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 The video for the title track sees Grande nervously walking past one as her character, aspiring actress Pepper, is on the way to audition for a bunch of ghoulish men. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 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 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

Its haunting finale featured a spectral Kate Moss floating inside a glass pyramid, conjured through a 19th-century illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
Sightings of the spectral woman in a nightgown and bonnet have been reported by many people.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 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

But some of Georgia’s eeriest stories don’t require special effects.

— Eli Goodstein, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026
The track begins with an eerie, atmospheric guitar clang, but Gosling and his bandmate, Zach Shields, quickly pick up the pace, finding a sweet spot between unvarnished post-punk production and arena-sized emotions.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of eerie

Adjective

What captures Linus’ imagination during our spookiest holiday season is a Santa Claus-like darkling creature known as the Great Pumpkin.

— Colin Fleming, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
The spookiest cities of 2026 have officially been named, according to a new study conducted by Vivint.

— Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 28 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

Donning a creepy mask of Democratic rival Xavier Becerra, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton dashed around a children’s Halloween event dishing out candy and warnings about potential liberal tax policies.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Throughout outer space lie stars and galaxies that resemble creepy creatures, spooky skulls and galactic ghouls.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 31 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 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of ghoulish

adjective

Example Sentences

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