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 Horror hounds might get annoyed at how James is methodical in detailing the various factors influencing Hana to take ghoulish acts and even start making ash out of an obese corpse that her class is studying. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 21 May 2026 The gigs have a ghoulish tint, since the basic idea is for former employees to teach AI how to do their old jobs. — Krystle Vermes, Futurism, 13 May 2026 The context that so many Democrats leave out is that when the law was passed, the United States was contending with a ghoulish infrastructure of laws and policies that were explicitly aimed at Black Americans. — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2026 Karyn Kusama, director of the first two episodes, builds a potent mood and teases that the encroaching shadows and unexplained discolorations might have a ghoulish source, both behind that silver door and navigating the crawlspace. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghoulish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghoulish

Adjective

Yet, despite the fact that supernovas have been erupting every second over the course of 13 billion years or so to produce the neutrinos that accumulate as the DSNB, this ghostly signal is still faint, a whisper rather than a shout.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 July 2026
Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 6 July 2026

Definition of ghostly

Adjective

This chamber spotlights the prevalence and power of the spectral and supernatural in film, with ghosts serving as inspiration for special and visual effects innovation.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
Unfortunately, the costs of this fleeting spectral wonder are high, borne by negative consequences for our environment and our health.

— Char Miller, Time, 30 June 2026

Definition of spectral

Adjective

The 1963 demolition of the original Penn Station, one of the great 20th century American edifices, was a ghastly mistake that New York has lived with and tried to correct for six decades.

— Andy Byford, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Avoiding vulnerability comes with ghastly consequences.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026

Definition of ghastly

Adjective

As the Emcee, an eerie, contorted figure who represents the slow blackening of the city’s soul, Muscato picks up from a prestigious line of talent that includes Eddie Redmayne, Billy Porter and Matt Willis.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Even when BookTok does rally around a quote-unquote serious writer—such as Sally Rooney or Ottessa Moshfegh—there is a veneer of genre favoritism and eerie self-identification.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Definition of eerie

Adjective

Sophie, a Polish immigrant, is forced to make an unconscionable decision which will have life-changing and haunting consequences.

— Lea Tran, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
The couple made their relationship public in 2008 and went on to appear together in Kelly Reichardt's haunting neo-Western Meek's Cutoff (2010).

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Definition of haunting

Adjective

Using a seamless combination of FaceTime calls, CCTV and news footage, and investigators’ video evidence, Aneesh Chaganty weaves a riveting, anxious, and classically creepy found footage movie that puzzles until its final moments.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 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 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ghoulish

adjective

Example Sentences

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