as in demons
an evil spirit
in Arabic folklore, ghouls could change their shapes but had one unchanging feature: donkey's hooves for feet
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Recent Examples of ghouls
Its lead character is Harry Dresden, a professional wizard operating out of the city of Chicago in a world where ghouls, ghosts, werewolves and vampires exist in the shadows of modern society.
—
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
No disrespect to Purnell, who perfectly calibrated Lucy’s intrinsic hopefulness in the first season and slowly begins to curdle it this go-round as Lucy spends more time among ghouls, raiders, cannibals, and various other feuding factions.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
For centuries, a peace treaty between humans and the Black World — which houses all manner of witches, demons, and ghouls — has been in place to ensure separation between the two factions.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Participants are encouraged to come dressed as ghosts, ghouls, vampires, witches or pop culture characters.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The electric vehicle company is rolling out a seasonal theme as a part of its software update that's made for ghouls, goblins and things that go bump in the night.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
But this Halloween, chasing away the ghouls haunting Tesla looks like a miracle too far.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Jack-o-lanterns, ghouls and goblins are around every corner, but the scariest creatures of all might be thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Forget goblins and ghouls—being secretly watched and filmed by a stranger is one of my worst fears, especially as a solo female traveler.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
No disrespect to Purnell, who perfectly calibrated Lucy’s intrinsic hopefulness in the first season and slowly begins to curdle it this go-round as Lucy spends more time among ghouls, raiders, cannibals, and various other feuding factions.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
For centuries, a peace treaty between humans and the Black World — which houses all manner of witches, demons, and ghouls — has been in place to ensure separation between the two factions.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Participants are encouraged to come dressed as ghosts, ghouls, vampires, witches or pop culture characters.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The electric vehicle company is rolling out a seasonal theme as a part of its software update that's made for ghouls, goblins and things that go bump in the night.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
But this Halloween, chasing away the ghouls haunting Tesla looks like a miracle too far.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Jack-o-lanterns, ghouls and goblins are around every corner, but the scariest creatures of all might be thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Forget goblins and ghouls—being secretly watched and filmed by a stranger is one of my worst fears, especially as a solo female traveler.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghouls
Noun
-
This time around, aside from warding off mental demons that arose from her crash, Shiffrin, at 30, must also fight the indignities of age.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
-
So, Hippocrates argued, the illness of epilepsy must be caused, like any other illness, by imbalance, not demons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Back at the castle, where the only thing haunting them is the ghosts of slain reality stars, everybody huddles to try to figure out whether to go for Ron or Colton.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Then, oh my God, there are ghosts!—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Early slayers often originate between realms—people who have been near death and pulled back, or have the markings of potential vampires, or who are born at times of the year when the veil between worlds is thin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Some vampires want a piece of the action.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are sounds and shadows in the forest; the Devil, or devils, may be walking the earth.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
-
And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ghouls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghouls. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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